


Pawn to E4

by cloudwatch



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst, Falling In Love, Fluff, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Spoilers for the Birthright Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-05-29 21:55:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6395371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloudwatch/pseuds/cloudwatch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The war between Hoshido and Nohr was over and as the new king of Nohr, Leo discovered that peace after war was much easier achieved than peace of mind. As Leo's situation deteriorates, Takumi is sent to Nohr as an ambassador from Hoshido. Together, they learn to grow and communicate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pawn to E4

**Author's Note:**

> THESE TWO ARE RUINING ME
> 
> so i feel like at the end of birthright, takumi is a bit more well rounded and sure of himself, while leo... oh, leo - someone needs to give that child a hug and never let him go. takumi's side won't be so full of angst and second guessing himself like leo's will be at first, but eventually they'll end up being nerdy boys in love, because i'm incapable of not writing them like that.

_Pawn to C3..._

 

_No, that's never a good opening move, and you know it. If he were here, Xander would be giving you that look. ... I know, I know, he's not here anymore, but still, it helps to think about what he'd be doing or saying whenever I think of idiotic ideas._

 

_Pawn to F3...?_

 

_Stop second guessing yourself, Leo. You're the king of Nohr, if you're second guessing yourself during something as simple as a chess game, what does that tell you about your ability to rule a country?_

 

_Okay, breathe. You can do this. As Elise would say - Gods, Elise... I miss her so much, normally at this time of day she'd be - Stop. Focus, Leo, focus. And as Elise would say, take it one day at a time._

 

_Pawn to E4._

 

***

 

His first order as king had been rather childish, but he knew that it was needed, if only for the sake of his mind. He'd required that the previous king's room be locked and closed, as well as Xander's and Elise's rooms as well; they were to never be used, and he would find another room to use as his own. He just knew that he'd never be able to sleep or feel comfortable at all if he were to sleep in his father's room, no matter how large and spacious and far away from people it was in the castle.

 

His new room was closer to the library, which more than made up for its smaller size. It made it much easier for him to slip past his retainer's rooms during those nights that he couldn't sleep and find refuge in the library, where he could read and play chess with himself until one of the castle staff walked in once the sun rose and he could pretend he'd only been there for a while. On those nights, if he closed his eyes, he could still hear the sound of Elise's laughter from behind the bookshelves, from when she'd hide there while he was studying, playing some sort of game that only she understood. He could hear Xander clearing his throat, voice firm as he scolded her for interrupting their study, but his fond smile as she left the room was clear as day. He could hear Camilla's laughter as she greeted Elise in the hall.

 

Sometimes, he could convince himself that the castle still held fond memories, instead of the constant reminder that he was now the only remaining member of his family still in the castle.

 

His coronation had made the reality of the situation finally settle in, and Camilla had admitted to him with tears in her eyes that she couldn't stay there anymore, that she had to get away otherwise she feared she'd snap. She'd come back, she assured him, but she needed time, and just like when she'd said she couldn't rule the kingdom and had pleaded with Leo to let her abdicate the throne to him, he'd agreed.

 

How could he possibly say no to the only family he had left?

 

Being busy helped him ignore the ache of loneliness that he had. Of course, he had his ever loyal retainers with him, but their conversations were stilted, not as energetic nor as intimate as they had been before the end of the war, before he was made king. He missed them, but he didn't know how to come out and say it without sounding like a spoiled child crying for attention. Instead, he soaked in all that he could get from their conversations and let that help him get through the day.

 

During the fist six months of his reign as Nohr's king, he visited Hoshido a total of two times, five days in total if he added them up. He spoke with Corrin directly three times, but in the end Niles was the one who ended up speaking to the former prince of Nohr more than he did. It was still hard to speak to Corrin. He'd thought that he'd put his issues with his brother behind him, but while visiting the bitter feeling he'd tried to shove down whenever he saw his brother smiling and laughing and enjoying life ( _without Elise, without Xander, without Camilla, without_ him) with his _real_ family destroyed any interest he had in trying to rekindle what had once been a close relationship. When Corrin had rather subtly ( _he must have learned subtlety from his real family, since our Corrin was about as subtle as an iron axe to the head_ ) mentioned to him over dinner that they weren't talking as much, Leo said that he was sorry, that he was just tired. It wasn't really a lie.

 

He was always tired lately.

 

He hardly spoke at all to the two Hoshido princesses, realizing that seeing them interact reminded him too much of his own sisters and how he'd never see them playing together or laughing or singing ever again, and it hurt too much to deal with. He mostly dealt with Hoshido's king, Ryoma, and (surprisingly) the Hoshidan prince, Takumi. Leo found himself genuinely surprised with how well he and prince Takumi worked together. They seemed to always have the same idea for how to fix an issue with the trade routes, or a better way to help rebuild a village. It almost made him smile, until he remembered how he and Xander used to pitch ideas back and forth on days when Xander was feeling tired enough to let his guard down. It almost made him smile, until he saw the advisors and sometimes Takumi himself giving him looks when they thought he couldn't see them, and he was reminded of the fact that even though they were allies, even though he was the king of Nohr, to the majority of them he was still Nohrian scum.

 

At the end of his visits, all he wanted to do was to go home. On his last visit, however, Niles had made a most peculiar request and has asked Leo if he was okay to stay a few extra days in Hoshido. Perhaps his surprised had shown on his face, because Niles had quickly taken back his requset, but the more Leo thought about it, the more he realized he couldn't deny this of his friend. The gods only knew but if Leo could have hidden himself away somewhere and ignored his duties he most certainly would have. Hoshido was paradise compared to Nohr and he couldn't feel anger at Niles' want to stay in a place that didn't have any starving children on the streets and actually had fertile land to grow food, and where instead of rain and clouds one could actually see the sun. Even though he knew, somewhere in the very back of his mind, that Niles would never truly leave him, there was that one voice in his head telling him that his friend was leaving him for the greener side of the hill.

 

It was during Niles' extended stay in Hoshido - one that turned from "just a few days" to "a few weeks", but when ( _if_ ) he returned Leo wouldn't scold him - that Odin (along with Laslow and Selena) vanished.

 

Leo had never felt so alone.

 

***

 

Leo frowned at the letter in his hands, ignoring his breakfast that was slowly going cold next to him as he sat in one of the most comfortable chairs in the library. The further he read, the more the words started to slide on the page, and when his head tipped forward it was only the sensation of falling that had him jolting back awake. Blinking rapidly, he took a deep breath and sat up straighter in his chair, letting go of the letter with one hand so that he could rub his eyes with his fingers.

 

 _You need to be sleeping more_ , he could hear Camilla's voice say in his head. _You know how you get when you don't sleep enough_.

 

"Yes, mother..." he whispered, and the constant thought that Xander should have been king, that he should have died in his place rose to the surface before he mentally scolded himself. His country was essentially rebuilding itself from the ground up, and here he was, their king, allowing himself to have a little pity party.

 

"Pathetic," he told himself, before looking back at the letter again, this time making sure to focus on the words.

 

It was from the king of Hoshido, explaining that the delay in Niles' return had partly been their fault, as they'd wanted him to bring some items back with him and it took longer to prepare for the journey than they had planned. It went on to describe that Hoshido was doing well as they rebuilt from the war, that Corrin sent his regards and was hoping to visit soon - Leo rather doubted that.

 

The most interesting thing, though, was only a few sentences long: _Along with Niles, we will be sending an ambassador to represent Hoshido. I am aware that your country has more healing to do than ours, and to save you the trouble of having to journey to Hoshido in order to negotiate and discuss our land's, I've decided to send one of my most trusted advisers to you._

 

The letter went on to state that they'd be arriving that very day; Leo supposed he was to have received the letter a few days prior, but with the weather in Nohr being what it was, the messenger had been unable to get it to him until that morning. Sighing, Leo rose from his seat, using one hand to steady himself as a wave of dizziness took him over.

 

"Perhaps I should eat lunch today," he said to himself as he made his way towards the library doors, pointedly ignoring his aching muscles with every step he took. Once opened, he signaled a maid in the hallway. "We'll be having a guest arriving today, I will need one of our finest rooms made ready for their arrival."

 

"Yes, your majesty," and with a bow she left him, hurrying down the hall to get started on the task. He watched her go for a moment before his vision swam and he was forced to lean against the doorway for support. He stumbled back into the library and sat heavily on the chair he'd been occupying earlier, panting from exertion. When he raised his hand up to his forehead to brush his hair out of the way it was warm to the touch.

 

Groaning, he leaned his head against the back of the chair. "I can't be getting sick," he mumbled, and almost immediately the voice of his father washed over him.

 

_"You are a prince of Nohr, Leo," his king said roughly, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to stand up straight. "No slouching, no leaning, do NOT show evidence of your weariness."_

 

_"But father," he started, being interrupted by a hacking cough. "I believe I am ill."_

 

_The look his father gave him was enough to send a whole different type of chill down his spine. "You believe you're ill, do you?"_

 

_Leo nodded, unable to stop himself from shivering._

 

_"You've got the chills?"_

 

_"Yes, sir."_

 

_And then his arm was being grabbed and he was being dragged to the door that lead outside. Outside, where it was pouring rain, and freezing, and he was so sick and -_

 

_"You can come in once you learn that being ill does not change the fact that you are a prince of Nohr, and you shall act like one."_

 

_The door was slammed shut and he heard the lock being moved and he was so cold -_

 

"Your majesty?"

 

Leo's eyes shot open and he sat up straight in his chair, blinking wildly at the maid who had woken him up.

 

"I'm sorry, sir, but the guest has arrived."

 

Leo sure hoped his shock was not showing on his face. "I see," he said, straightening his grown and standing up quickly, smoothing out his clothes as he did so. "What time is it?"

 

"Almost dinner time, your majesty."

 

Leo nodded, leaving the library and the maid as he quickly made his way towards the main hall. _I slept most of the day_ , he thought. _How could I have slept the day away, there are so many things that I've neglected and there's no way I'll be able to make up the time that I've missed by being so utterly lazy_...

 

He forced himself to stop thinking once he reached the door to the main hall and he took a deep breath. "Be a king," he said, and pushed the door open, ready to greet his retainer and the Hoshido ambassador.

 

***

 

When he'd first been approached with the idea of sending him to Nohr to help with the ongoing (and all future) negotiations, Takumi had to admit that he'd felt a little put out. His first thought had been childish, that he wasn't contributing enough, or he was getting in the way and this was the only way they could get rid of him. But after sitting down and thinking about Ryoma's idea, he realized that it was actually the complete opposite. By going to Nohr as the representative of Hoshido, he essentially had the king's seal of approval on anything that he and king Leo decided on (with few exceptions, of course). The next day, he'd approached Ryoma and accepted the offer.

 

It wasn't until later in the week that he'd learned there was a small ulterior motive for him going, but it wasn't what he'd thought it was.

 

He learned about it by accident, when he'd gone to deliver a garment that someone had mixed in with his clothing but in fact belonged to Corrin, and when he went to knock on Corrin's door he heard his brother speaking to someone.

 

"Is it... really that bad?"

 

Niles, king Leo's retainer, responded. "The other day I received a letter from my lord, Leo, informing me that Odin was gone, and that he did not know where. The sentence structure was overly formal for Leo, we haven't had a conversation that hasn't felt like he was forcing himself to speak in months, and ever since lady Camilla's departure, he hasn't been dealing with things well."

 

"Wait, Camilla left? When did this happen? He never said _anything_ about this to me!"

 

There was a moment of silence before Corrin spoke up again.

 

"Oh... right. I supposed that's partially my fault as well. I just don't know how to reach him anymore."

 

"The most energetic I've seen him in months was when he and prince Takumi started debating whether or not rebuilding an abandoned town would benefit both Nohr and Hoshido, which is why I spoke with king Ryoma."

 

Corrin let out a little laugh. "You know, had they met under different circumstances, I have no doubt that they would have been the best of friends."

 

Takumi had to mentally scoffed at that. Him, friends with the king of Nohr? _As if_.

 

And then Niles spoke up again. "You do know there's someone listening at your door..."

 

Takumi took that as his cue to enter the room. He raised his eyebrow at the two of them, settled comfortably on Corrin's bed, before holding up the clothing item he held in his hand. "Someone mixed this in with my clothes."

 

Flushing, Corrin snatched the item out of his hands. "How much of that did you hear?"

 

"Almost all of it," he said, inviting himself to sit on the edge of the bed. "I don't know how you think I'll be able to help with... whatever you think I can help with. I'm pretty sure that Nohr's king hates me, anyway."

 

Niles sent him a grin that made Takumi want to hide underneath the covers. "Oh, trust me. My lord Leo most definitely doesn't hate you. In fact, he enjoyed his conversations with you."

 

Takumi gave him a skeptical look. "You sure about that, because during some of those conversations, he looked like he was ready to murder me."

 

Niles nodded. "And that's how I know he was enjoying himself."

 

Corrin sent him a warm smile, placing his hand on Takumi's shoulder. "Leo isn't the best with social interaction, but considering how he grew up, he turned out really well. He's my kind and precious little brother, and honestly, all we're thinking you'll need to do is be his friend."

 

This time, Takumi couldn't hold back his laughter. "Me? Be the friend to the king of Nohr? You think too much of me, Corrin."

 

"You two are honestly a lot alike. Once you look past each other and you see more than just Hoshido and Nohr, I think you two will work well together," his brother said confidently. "Plus, you two really do have good ideas for the betterment of our countries."

 

Takumi let out a groan and shook his head. _I knew there would be a catch_... But, he'd already accepted the job and he couldn't back out now, and he had to admit, he'd very much enjoyed his conversations and debates with Leo. he'd never had someone match him so well in conversation, and his interest in knowing more about Leo had grown since they'd last met. So, he drew himself up and looked at the two. "Is there anything that I need to know about Nohr's king before we leave tomorrow?"

 

Niles glanced at Corrin and then met his gaze dead-on. "Do you know anything about chess?"

 

***

 

When Leo walked into the room, Takumi had to admit to himself that Corrin's and Niles' worries had merrit: the king looked awful, dark circles under his eyes, thinner than Takumi remembered, and his face was flushed with fever. It was obvious that he should have been asleep in bed, but was forcing himself to stay up. No matter what he looked at, though, the one thought that rushed through his head was that Leo just looked _tired_. If he was honest with himself, the urge to give the king a hug was strong, but he was sure that would end with him getting kicked out of the castle and shipped back to Hoshido. Where the urge to hug the king came from, Takumi didn't know, but he didn't focus too much on the thought, instead watching as Leo descended the stairs and stopped in front of them. Niles took a step forward and bowed.

 

"My lord Leo..."

 

"Welcome back, Niles," Leo stated, and Takumi was pleased to hear that his voice was strong and firm, as a king's should be. Then Leo turned those tired eyes to Takumi. "Welcome to Nohr, prince Takumi."

 

"Takumi is fine, thank you. I appreciate the welcome."

 

Leo turned on his heel and headed back towards the door he came from, and as he followed Takumi could see maids moving to grab their luggage behind them. "I apologize if your room isn't quite ready," Leo was saying as they walked. "The messenger was held up because of bad weather and I only received king Ryoma's letter this morning. Tomorrow, we will move you to a more comfortable room, but I'm afraid today we only have a small guest room that is presentable."

 

Takumi met Niles' eye, understanding what he'd meant when he'd talked about Leo being overly formal. "That's fine, there's no worries."

 

Leo was still talking as they walked. "Dinner should be ready within the hour. I would stay and help you settle in, but I'm afraid I'm behind on some work and I will need to use this time to catch up so that we will have plenty of time to discuss the status of our alliance." He paused at an open door and gestured inside. Takumi entered, mouth slightly open.

 

_If this is the 'small guest room' I'm a little terrified to see the 'more comfortable' room._

 

"I will be in the library if you need anything. You can ask any of the maids to take you there if you need to speak with me before dinner," Leo was saying. "Niles, I'm sure you and Takumi have had a tiring journey. Rest easy tonight and you can begin your duties tomorrow morning."

 

Niles bowed and retreated from their sight. Once he was gone, Leo let out a sigh before giving Takumi a small but tired smile. "I will see you at dinner," and then he was gone.

 

To pass the time until dinner, Takumi sorted through his clothing and found a more comfortable outfit to wear. He'd have to tell Leo that he was more than willing to stay in the guest room and that they didn't need to prepare a better room for him. It was spacious, had a fireplace, warm blankets and the bed was incredibly soft. The only downside was that the view from the window was plain, but Takumi couldn't complain about that. He sat back down on the bed, but with the silence his doubts and worries about whether he really was right for this task came back.

 

What if he made the still fragile relationship between Hoshido and Nohr even worse? What if he agreed to a deal that Ryoma decided was bad? _I could destroy the balance between the nations right now... If I mess up, war could break out_.

 

Slapping himself, he shook his head. "Don't think like that, Takumi. Just do what you were sent here to do. Ryoma believes in you, that's enough." He ignored the little voice in his head that whispered that he didn't believe in himself, and that would be his downfall.

 

When he'd run out of things to do he figured that he and Leo could walk to the dining room together and he quickly grabbed a maid and requested that she take him to the library.

 

The library at the Hoshido palace was one of Takumi's favorite places, but he thought that the Nohr castle library was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. The shelves were full of books, from the bottom of the room to the top, all different subjects and titles, some in languages Takumi had never even seen before. He couldn't stop himself from staring, mouth open, until he walked around a corner and was met with the sight of Leo curled up in one of the largest chairs Takumi had seen.

 

Leo had a blanket draped over his legs, a book in his lap, but what struck Takumi was how peaceful the little king looked, even flushed as he was with what had to be a fever. As if in a trance, Takumi walked forward and brushed a strand of hair out of Leo's eyes. For a moment, he stared. "It's a shame, if only your attitude was as beautiful as your face."

 

Leo frowned in his sleep and it brought Takumi back to himself. He jumped away, bumping into the table behind him and he cringed as a book crashed to the ground, effectily waking the sleeping king. "Wha-?"

 

"Sorry, sorry," Takumi whispered, bending down to pick the book up. "I didn't mean to wake you."

 

Leo blinked sleepily at him, before he seemed to realize what had happened and his face flushed in embarrassment. "Was I asleep?"

 

"Yes, you were, and I'm sorry that I -"

 

"No, don't apologize. I shouldn't have fallen asleep," and what drew Takumi back to him was the self hatred in his voice, as if he was angry at himself for being sick.

 

 _I think I get what Corrin and Niles were worried about now_.

 

Quickly, Takumi dashed over to the library door and grabbed the nearest maid. "Do you think that it would be possible for you to bring up our meals to the library? His majesty Leo and I will be working in here for the night."

 

She nodded and left, and he headed back towards Leo, the nurturing side of him that he would forever deny he had rising up as he took in the sight of the sick king. "You don't need to be angry at yourself for being sick."

 

"What makes you think I'm angry at myself?"

 

"Because I'm the same way, actually. I feel like by getting sick I'm letting everyone who relies on me down."

 

"That's easy for you to say," Leo muttered. "You don't have an entire nation looking to you to rule. Getting sick when you don't have much responsibility is easier to deal with."

 

Takumi huffed and sat down roughly in the chair across from Leo. _Dont' take the bait, Takumi. You're more mature than this_.

 

"Sure, I may not be king but that doesn't mean I don't have people relying on me! I have responsibilities that are just as important as yours!"

 

 _You're an idiot, Takum_ i.

 

Leo raised a single eyebrow, and for a moment Takumi saw the same face that he saw whenever he encountered Leo on the battlefield; a man sure of himself, so sure that he would not lose the fight he was about to enter. It made his heart race.

 

"We could argue semantics here," Leo said, and Takumi geared himself for a fight. "Or, we could - "

 

Leo was cut off by a coughing fit. He doubled over, hacking into his hand, and immediately Takumi let go of his anger and moved over towards him. "Do you need anything? Water?"

 

Leo nodded, gasping out the word "water" before pointing to a table in the corner where a single class sat. Takumi retrieved it and handed the glass to Leo, unconsciously rubbing his back as he drank the remaining amount. Once finished, Leo was left gasping for air, and Takumi took the glass from his limp hand before it slipped out and broke. They sat in silence for a moment, Leo panting and Takumi still rubbing his back. Once Leo sat up properly, Takumi removed his hand.

 

"Forgive me, I may be more ill than I realized."

 

"Do you need help getting to your room?" Takumi asked as he set the glass down on the small table in front of him.

 

Leo shook his head. "No, not yet at least. The maids don't start the fire to warm the room up for a good while yet, and until that room is warm I won't be taking one single step into that room."

 

Takumi let out a chuckle. "Would you like me to keep you company until the room is ready?"

 

Leo took a moment to think, but when he didn't answer, Takumi figured that the silence was supposed to be the answer and turned to leave. He barely caught Leo calling after him as soft as it was.

 

"Wait!"

 

He turned around and was greeted with Leo looking embarrassed, like he hadn't expected to actually say the word out loud. "Yes?"

 

Leo bit his lip and then looked at something in the corner. It was a while before he spoke. "Do you know anything about chess?"

 

_Yes. I know it's your favorite game, that you're incredibly good at it, that it helps your mind calm down like playing shogi does for me._

 

"Not really," he said instead, moving back to his original seat across from Leo, fully recognizing this as one of Leo's attempts to be friendly, no matter how awkward it made him feel. "What is it?"

 

"It's a strategy game," Leo said, standing up and heading over to one of the empty shelves. "It's my favorite, actually. If you don't mind, I could teach you to play?"

 

The smile that Leo gave him when he agreed to being taught to play could only be described as beautiful. His heart started racing again. "Is it a smart idea to be playing chess when you're this ill, thought?"

 

Leo turned his nose up at him as he set the board down. "It's always a smart idea to be playing chess."

 

"I'll take your word for it."

 

Leo taught and Takumi listened, and while playing they discussed almost nonchelantly future plans for both Nohr and Hoshido, and the open and honest communication between them during their game surprised Takumi. When relaxed, Leo was surprisingly agreeable and very interesting to talk to.

 

At the end of the night, once they'd gone their separate ways to their rooms, Takumi thought back to what Corrin had said before he'd left.

 

_"You know, had they met under different circumstances, I have no doubt that they would have been the best of friends."_

 

 _It's surprising, brother_ , he thought, turning over onto his side and falling asleep. _I think I might agree with you_.


	2. Queen to H5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You absolutely destroyed me in five moves. HOW?"
> 
> "Lots of game play and practice, and I'm sure that when you teach me shogi, our situations will be reversed. One day you will win a game against me."
> 
> Takumi sulked and pulled the pillow closer to his chest. "Sure," he mumbled. "The day I beat you in chess is the day you and I get married."

_"On that throne, the King is essentially a god. They control the nation, their word is law. It's a powerful, intimidating, and also dangerous place to be, Leo."_

 

_"Brother?"_

_"I pray that you never have to sit on that throne. It is not something that you should be burdened with."_

 

_"You're being awfully chatty today, Xander. Is there something on your mind?"_

 

_"Hm? Ah, no, I'm afraid I'm feeling a bit... I'm fine, Leo, thank you for asking. It's your move now."_

 

_"Are you sure that you'd like to move your knight there?"_

 

_"... well, now you've got me second guessing myself. I've already moved the piece, though, so I'm afraid I'm stuck with it."_

 

_"Very well."_

 

_Queen to H5._

 

***

 

The royal crown felt heavy on his head, and it looked like it didn't belong.

 

It was the last thing he put on each morning, as if stalling the inevitability of his reality being King of Nohr. With each layer of clothing he put on, his whole being felt heavier, until if he allowed himself to focus on the feeling, he felt like he was essentially drowning. _It's not something you should be burdened with_ , Xander had once said. "Gods, how right you were," he muttered to himself as he looked at the crown sitting upon his head.

 

Although his advisors and Niles argued that he should have stayed in bed longer, he convinced himself that one week of rest was adequate enough for a king. He'd allowed way too much time to pass while being ill, and that was not satisfactory. There were too many issues to be dealt with, a nation to heal, and the Hoshidan advisor to deal with.

 

He paused on his way out the door, taking a moment to think about Takumi. In those moments were he was being honest with himself, he admitted that Takumi was more than what he'd initially thought of him. He was engaging, thoughtful, and his ideas for building a better relationship between Nohr and Hoshido were attractive. Although a little reluctant at first, Leo found himself opening up to the prince little by little. It was rather hard to keep a facade of indifference when Takumi brought out strong emotions in him, whether the emotions be anger or happiness. He was a little hesitant in admitting it since he'd only really known Takumi for a short while, but he trusted the prince, and if he really sat down and thought about it, he'd admit that they were friends.

 

_Friends... it's been so long since I've had a new friend._

 

Today, he was visiting Takumi with a more urgent matter, rather than for idle chit chat. Late the previous night he'd received a letter from a few people he'd sent out to the border to check on the status of the trades between Hoshido and Nohr, and the update he'd received had been rather upsetting.

 

_Many of the Hoshido traders are refusing to sell to anyone from Nohr, and the few that do only give the bare minimum, and many of the perishables are close to rotting._

 

It seemed that even with the peace treaty and the new orders from king Ryoma that some of Hoshido still believed themselves to be above Nohr, and therefore above the new law regarding trading with Nohr. He'd heard from courtiers and various attendants that trading on the Hoshido-Nohr border had gotten worse, but he hadn't expected the Hoshidan traders to be blatantly breaking the law. He only hoped that Takumi would be willing to work with him, as well as believe him, so that he could resolve this issue.

 

He found Takumi in their (rather pathetic, in his opinion) castle garden, watching as the last remaining leaves on the trees started to fall. He stood at the entrance for a while, marveling at how Takumi was able to walk in that odd looking robe and hard wooden shoes. _Although the outfit does fit him well,_ he thought, and then immediately flushed, wondering where such an embarrassing thought came from. _I better get his attention before I am caught looking like a creep. What a king I am..._

 

Takumi was examining a leaf when Leo finally reached his side. "Are Nohr's leaves really that interesting?"

 

Takumi bowed his head in greeting. "Your majesty," he said, letting the leaf drop from his hand and flutter to the ground. "I was just wondering why your trees and plants are dead at this time of year."

 

Leo looked at the garden and had to admit that it looked more like it should have in the days before winter hit. "Our land is poisoned, essentially. It's near impossible to grow anything in the majority of Nohr, and even when using Brynhildr I still am unable to grow a variety of foods, and I can only do so for a small group of people. I'm not sure how to fix it, but it's why we're so reliant on supplies and trades with Hoshido."

 

_A good opening, Leo_ , said a voice that sounded just like Xander. _Now, continue on._

 

"That's actually what I came out here to talk to you about," he said, mentally pushing himself on. He waited until Takumi was facing him fully before continuing. "I've just heard back from a few attendants that I'd sent to the border to check on a few rumors that have been circulating the city, and I will need your help resolving the issues that they've revealed to me."

 

Takumi frowned. "What issues are those, your majesty?"

 

Leo took a deep breath. "It has been revealed to me that many of the Hoshidan traders have been refusing to sell to any citizens of Nohr, and those who do only give the bare minimum."

 

Takumi's frown deepened. "Are you _sure_ that's what's going on?"

 

"Beg pardon?"

 

Takumi looked at the ground and shuffled his feet, his eyebrows furrowed and his gaze intense like it was when they had been facing each other on the battlefield. "Forgive me, your majesty, but I am having a hard time believing that anyone from Hoshido would ignore direct orders and laws from their king. Mayhap those who informed you of this issue were making a mountain out of a molehill."

 

Leo could feel the air between them growing heavy. "Are you insinuating that my people are _lying_ about this?"

 

"I did not say that they were lying, but instead that they were perhaps exaggerating the seriousness. The likelihood of our traders blatantly ignoring a law is less likely than your people being unable to trade with them."

 

"Because everyone in Hoshido is so noble and above petty hatred, is that it?"

 

"Excuse you?"

 

Everything was going wrong, he knew it, but as their voices and words grew even more bitter, all Leo could feel was shame towards himself. It wasn't Takumi's fault that he still believed Nohr to be a land of backstabbers and liars and thieves; he had only been there a while and had yet to leave the castle grounds to explore what Nohr had to offer, the little that it did. _No, this is my fault_ , he thought as he watched Takumi leave the garden as calmly as he could but his rage easily seen in each step. _I approached him all wrong, I used the wrong words, and I baited him like an immature child._

 

Leo leaned against the dead tree, an ache settling deep in his bones, listening to the bark behind his back creek with his weight. The tree sounded like it would collapse at any moment, and Leo felt the same.

 

_Xander wouldn't have wasted or ruined such an opportunity,_ the small voice in his head said _. How pathetic you are._

 

"... I know."

 

***

 

Later that day, he arranged to travel to the border to see the situation himself. He could see Niles restraining himself from speaking about how it wasn't the smartest idea, but aside from violence (which he would not resort to) and sending a letter to king Ryoma that could only be seen as him begging for help (which he would most certainly not be doing), he could see no other option. His logic was childish, but he was operating under the assumption that maybe if the King of Nohr visited himself, the traders would come to their senses.

 

_Elise would be proud_ , and the thought made a smile appear on his face, and it stayed with him throughout the day. He only wished that he could travel to the border sooner than he was able to go; waiting one week to travel could mean that his people could go hungry one week longer than he wanted, but he couldn't ignore any of the other duties and tasks that he had to deal with as king, even if traveling to the border was only a two day journey. _There needs to be a way to replicate myself, or an easier way to delegate tasks to my attendants_.

 

He purposefully ignored that voice telling him that _Xander wouldn't have complained_.

 

While his somewhat good mood lasted throughout the day, he still felt bad for the argument that he'd gotten into with Takumi, and before the day was over (even as exhausted as he was), he felt that he needed to apologize but was unable to find Takumi at all. He didn't see the ambassador for the rest of the week, and while going through his daily duties and working on his new policies in regards to rebuilding Nohr he firmly believed he'd be receiving an angry letter from Hoshido explaining that Takumi had returned home and would not be coming back to Nohr any time soon.

 

Later on he'd feel foolish for thinking so low of Takumi, but in the moment he was genuinely worried about what he'd possibly done to the somewhat fragile relationship between Nohr and Hoshido. Nearly five days later (five exhausting, busy days full of listening to nobles argue their own selfish agendas), he was sitting in the library, staring tiredly at the fire, the game of chess he'd been playing with himself abandoned and wondering if it was suitable for a king to vanish for a while without telling anyone where he was going when he heard a throat cleared behind him. He sat up straight and was honestly surprised when he saw Takumi standing there, looking hesitant and (shockingly) a little humbled and oddly enough, holding a basket of tomatoes in one hand. "Prince Takumi?"

 

Takumi shuffled his feet and gestured at the chair across from Leo. "May I sit, your majesty?"

 

Leo nodded and crossed his legs, attempting to at least look regal instead of exhausted as Takumi sat, placing the basket of tomatoes on the ground next to his feet. Leo found it hard to ignore the basket, wondering why it was there. "I'm glad to see that you're well," he said, when Takumi didn't speak once he'd sat down. "For a while I had feared you'd returned to Hoshido."

 

Takumi inhaled and then finally looked Leo in the eyes. "No, and first things first is that I need to apologize for a few things. One, for leaving without informing someone where I was going, that was unbecoming of me. Second, for what I said when we argued earlier this week."

 

Leo shook his head. "No, you don't need to apologize. I do, for I was wrong to say such heated things with you, and you're right that I should have pressed for more details from my subjects instead of just believing them outright from only word of mouth."

 

"Actually," Takumi began. "You were right."

 

Well, Leo hadn't been expecting that.

 

"The reason I was gone this long was because I visited the border."

 

And he certainly hadn't been expecting _that_.

 

He shifted in his chair, feeling the weariness he'd been experiencing all day settling heavier on his shoulders, but Takumi looked like he was about to report on his findings, and as king Leo needed to hear them. "What did you find?"

 

Takumi flushed, and Leo was struck with the thought that he looked rather adorable when embarrassed.

 

_Gods, where did that come from?_

 

"I was ignorant, your majesty," Takumi whispered so softly that Leo had to lean forward to hear it. "I firmly believed that everyone in Hoshido is as noble as they can be, and I allowed that to cloud my judgment to just how hateful some of my nations people can be. Your people were right, the border traders are refusing to trade with Nohr."

 

***

 

Takumi was halfway through writing an angry letter to his brother about how quick to judge anyone from Hoshido 'those Nohrian jerks' were when he realized what a hypocritical fool he was being. He put his brush down and buried his head in his hands with embarrassment. "Think, Takumi... What would Ryoma do in this situation?"

 

_He'd never be in this situation that you're in right now, you fool_ , he told himself, but he would not allow his current situation where he was at odds with the king of Nohr to stop him from doing his duty. He was just grateful that Leo hadn't had him thrown out of the kingdom yet. What he needed to do was see firsthand if what Leo was saying was happening at the border was really happening. Takumi knew where the border was and that it wasn't too far of a travel, so he packed a few things that he'd need, along with his Fujin Yumi, and headed towards the castle entrance. It wasn't until he was traveling along the main road to the Nohr/Hoshido border with an attendant from the castle (riding one of the steeds from the castle, and riding awkwardly at that) that Takumi realized he probably should have informed King Leo where he was going.

 

_Too late now_ , he thought.

 

For the most part, he and the attendant didn't speak, but as they continued Takumi noticed that while the majority of the land looked as dead and tired as Leo himself seemed to be, some of the ground where villagers were farming looked alive, or at least more alive than the rest of the area did. "I thought that the land was infertile," he found himself saying. "But some areas look usable."

 

"That would be because of our King," the attendant said. "It's not possible for him to do it everywhere, but whenever he travels out to smaller villages that are struggling, King Leo will use his magic with his legendary tome to help the land heal itself. It's a slow process, but what you're seeing is the effect of just one of the small things our King is doing to help rebuild our nation."

 

The pride in the attendant's voice is what got Takumi interested. He'd only ever heard Corrin speak about Leo with that kind of tone. "He is a good king then, yes?"

 

The attendant nodded. "He most certainly is, although his job is not easy. He's doing the best that he can to help rebuild the war torn towns and villages, to help those who have less survive and prepare for the coming winter this year, and while the majority of our nation is thankful for everything that he's doing there are a lot of nobles who disagree with his plans."

 

That was odd to hear. "Why do the nobles not agree with him?"

 

"His majesty's policies are... rather bold, and some of the nobles at court consider them radical. They're not used to change, but when King Garon held the throne they were not affected by his horrid reign as king, and so they do not look at Nohr and see a nation that needs changing. Being allies with Hoshido so soon after the war also has not garnered his majesty any favors with the court. While he has won a few of them over, the majority of them do not like our king."

 

Takumi raised an eyebrow at him. "You sure know and hear a lot for someone with the status of just an attendant."

 

Instead of being offended, the kid just smiled at him. "The king has a lot of eyes and ears, I'm just lucky enough to be one of them."

 

Takumi had to agree, and he found himself glad that Leo had such devoted subjects. _I didn't know that the politics in Nohr could be so bad, but it would explain why Leo looks so exhausted each and every day. From the sound of it, the nobles won't give him an inch and he's also using his magic to try to heal his land_. Takumi had to admit, his opinion of Leo grew higher each day, and while he'd been hesitant to take the position of official ambassador from Hoshido, he was glad that he was getting to know Leo, as King of Nohr, and also as just Leo.

 

Takumi didn't learn much more about Leo from the attendant (although when he started fishing for more information, he wasn't sure), but he did learn that Leo had a love for philosophy and historical books, and that out of all of the foods he could grow with Brynhildr, he grew tomatoes the most, as the attendant was sure that if Leo could live off of just tomatoes, he would, and that when eating tomatoes he always had a smile of pure happiness on his face. Takumi made a mental note to pick up some tomatoes at the border as an apology. They reached the border in record time, and as they approached Takumi pulled on the cloak and hood he'd packet to keep his identity as Hoshido's Prince away from the traders. If he was going to be gathering information, he needed to be seen as just another person looking to buy.

 

The border looked just as busy as it had been when he'd been traveling to Nohr, although now as he took the time to look fully, the Hoshido side of the trading was busy, with the people from his nation buying and selling as normal; Nohr's side was almost painfully empty.

 

As if noticing his gaze, the attendant leaned over and whispered, "It's because word travels fast, and now most of Nohr knows that the traders here give scraps or flat out refuse to trade. There are a few traders who will sell, but they are not always here. Look," he said, pointing to where one trader was angrily telling a Nohrian to leave. The woman took the hand of her hungry looking child before leaving, and as she passed them, Takumi overheard her telling her child to not worry, she'd find them something to eat for sure.

 

For the first time in his life, Takumi felt ashamed towards people from his nation. They were above this, and now that Hoshido and Nohr were at peace, there was no need for any hostility between their people, especially towards civilians who had taken no part in the war. "I didn't know that the hatred for anything Nohr was still this strong," although the more he watched, the more he thought it was about the power that the traders held over the people of Nohr, not so much the fact that the people were just from Nohr, although that definitely was a factor. He nudged his horse forward and dismounted once he was close enough. The closer he walked to a trader, the more he could see the trader looking down on him, looking like a Nohrian that he did. A part of him wanted to yell out that he was not Nohrian, but he stamped the urge down because whether he was from Hoshido or Nohr didn't and should never have mattered.

 

"I don't serve Nohrian scum," the trader said to him as he and the attendant approached. "Go find someone else to trade with you."

 

Takumi raised his eyebrow at him before he reached down and picked up one of the tomatoes.

 

"Hey," the trader said, sounding angry. "I said that I don't serve Nohrian scum," and he reached out to try and snatch the tomato away.

 

Takumi reached out and snatched the trader's arm. "Then it's a good thing that I'm not Nohrian."

 

The trader's eyes widened and he pulled his arm away. "Forgive me, with that cloak and clothing you looked like someone from Nohr."

 

"I'm visiting, I have a family member marrying someone from Nohr."

 

The trader scoffed. "I'm sorry that your family will be gaining a member without honor."

 

Takumi nearly bit his tongue to stop himself from verbally attacking the man. "You stated that you don't trade with Nohrians, but King Ryoma made trading with Nohr law, and refusing to trade would be violating the new policy."

 

With a laugh the trader shrugged. "It's not like anyone of the Nohrians would ever complain to our king, and their own king is so busy he most likely doesn't even know about his people being refused trade."

 

_Oh he does know, and even if he didn't he most certainly will now._ "Ah, I see. That's a smart way of going about it." He hated acting like he agreed, but there really was nothing he could do about it at the moment. "Do all of the traders refuse?"

 

The trader shook his head. "No, not all of them. Some do, but I don't understand why, as it's not like those Nohrians actually have coin to buy with."

 

Takumi gave him a smile. "I would like to know the names of these traders, as those who are so willing to keep Hoshido and their items purly Hoshido are traders I'd love to trade with in the future, and I'll be sure to inform my family of them as well."

 

It was almost too easy, Takumi realized after he'd gotten the names of those who were refusing to trade with Nohr and after he'd bought a basket of tomatoes (and the more he thought about it the harder it was to stay convinced that he bought the tomatoes as purely an apology to Leo, and not because he wanted to see that smile the attendant had told him about). On the way back to the castle, Takumi was mentally preparing the letter that he and Leo would need to sent to King Ryoma, along with the list of names. That was the easy part.

 

The hard part was going to be apologizing to Leo.

 

He thought about how to formally apologize all the way until he was walking into the library to find a tired Leo with an abandoned chess game waiting for him. And now, here he was.

 

Leo was now holding the basket of tomatoes in his lap, flustered and looking like he was trying to keep a smile off his face. "These are an apology?"

 

Takumi was flustered as well. "I learned from the attendant who traveled with me that they were your favorite. I've never been the best at apologizing, but I figured this was the least that I could do, after our argument."

 

At that, Leo was unable to keep the blush from rising to his face. "I thank you," and whether or not the thanks was for the tomatoes or for Takumi willing to be proven wrong, Takumi didn't care, because Leo was smiling at him, and _Gods_ , Takumi had never seen anything so beautiful before. Instead of pondering why it felt like his heart was racing at triple its normal rate, Takumi instead gave Leo the list of names for the official notice to Ryoma.

 

"While making the accusation that we'll be making could be seen as offensive to my brother's court, having me vouch for you will help smooth things over, as well as already have the names of those who are breaking the law. That way, Ryoma will only have to apprehend those we're accusing instead of having to question each trader at the border." At the approving look in Leo's eyes, a proud feeling rose up in Takumi's chest, overpowering the earlier confusing rush of heat he'd been feeling.

 

Leo seemed to get a hold of himself and leaned forward in his chair, a hand coming up to his chin in what Takumi recognized as a sign that Leo was thinking. "Would the advisors in King Ryoma's court really see me bringing his attentions to this issue as an offense? My dealings with his court have been rather pleasant, but I'll admit that it may be just because I've always been in front of them, and they dare not be anything but agreeable with the alliance being in the beginning state like it is."

 

Takumi sighed and ran a hand through his hair; it was beginning to come loose from its bindings, but he didn't feel like retying it at the moment. "Unfortunately, the advisors in Hoshido can be very stubborn, and quite a lot of them still have the idea that they're better than their counterparts in Nohr and are unwelcome to change."

 

Leo let out a dark chuckle. "Sounds like the nobles here. They're rather... annoyed, I guess, against every new policy that I've introduced, and just this week I informed them that I'd be requesting that each year we invite our Hoshidan brothers and sisters over to celebrate the anniversary of our alliance."

 

Takumi gave him an intrigued look and Leo flushed a little.

 

"I've yet to speak to you as the Hoshido advisor to the king, but in my defense you were gone."

 

Takumi held up a hand. "I believe it's a great idea. It'd work well to build camaraderie between nations; might I suggest that every other year we host the event in Hoshido, and the other years in Nohr? It would only be best to share the event between the nations."

 

Leo gave him a smile that brought back the heat from earlier in the evening rushing back through his stomach. "I actually agree, that's a very good idea." There was a pause, before Leo's smile turned gentle, and Takumi had to swallow harshly. "Forgive me if this seems forward for someone you've only known for a few weeks, and even more so for a king, but I'm glad that you were sent here; I believe we work well together."

 

Words. Takumi knew words, but at the moment he was finding it hard to recall anything to say other than, "I agree." A moment later after a rather awkward silence, he cleared his throat and continued. "This has also been an eye opening experience as well, mostly regarding my own ego." _And I did not mean to say that last part out loud_.

 

"I believe everything that has happened in the last few months have been an eye opening for everyone."

 

For the first time, Takumi took a moment to regard the young king in front of him. Leo had essentially been forced to take the throne, unable to deny his last remaining blood sibling anything, even when that meant her leaving and him being left alone to run a kingdom at his age. Yes, Leo was a genius, but no matter how smart or strong someone was, without a good support system one could crash and burn quickly, and Takumi could see that Leo was headed down that road; Leo was alone in this castle, save for Niles, without many people that he could go to at his disposal.

 

But now he had Takumi, and Takumi found in himself a rising need to be there and support Leo as the best that he could, and by helping this new and young king raise a kingdom from the ground up, he'd also be proving to himself that what Ryoma saw in him wasn't a lie. Together, they could do this. As much as Takumi would have liked to have retired for the night and examined where these new feelings were coming from, he was still the ambassador from Hoshido, and Leo the King of Nohr, and there was work to be done. "Your Majesty, should we begin the letter to my brother?"

 

To his surprise, Leo shook his head. "I need to retire for the night, but we'll begin first thing in the morning. Will you join me in the dining hall for breakfast?"

 

Takumi stood as Leo rose, agreeing with him and stating that he would join with him in the morning. "Good night, your majesty."

 

Leo paused in his walk towards the library entrance, turning to glance at Takumi from over his shoulder. "Do me a favor?"

 

"What is it?"

 

"When we're in private, would you mind calling me just Leo? I get enough of 'your majesty' and 'my king' all day, and among friends I'd like to be just Leo for a while."

 

_Whoa_. "Of course, Leo."

 

With a grateful smile, Leo turned to leave and as he did, Takumi noticed something and he cleared his throat. "Uh..."

 

Leo paused once more. "What is it?"

 

Takumi ran a hand through his hair one more time, unsure of what to say. Eventually he decided just to say it, as Leo had just mentioned wanting to feel normal instead of being seen as royalty all day. "Your cloak is inside out."

 

Leo just stared at him for a moment before a loud "DAMN IT!" came from his mouth. "Ugh, you mean to tell me I've been wearing this inside out _all day_?"

 

All Takumi could do was laugh as he watched the little king rush from the room, and he had a feeling that being friends with just Leo was going to be different from being friends with the King of Nohr.

 

***

 

After Leo's (rather embarrassing) show the last night, something in the air seemed to give between the two. The morning breakfast between them had been light and without talks of politics. Instead, Takumi asked him questions about magic and how he'd learned that Leo could use Brynhildr to grow food and wanted to know how it worked. It had been the first time anyone had asked him how it worked and had seemed genuinely interested, and Leo had discussed how Brynhildr worked in detail. Not once had Takumi ever seemed uninterested or bored, and Leo was sure that if he'd had a way, Takumi would have taken notes. In turn, he inquired about how Fujin Yuumi worked, giving Takumi the chance to share his own knowledge on the weapon.

 

They retired to the library to draft the letter to Ryoma regarding the trading. For such a simple letter in Leo's mind, it turned out to be different from the normal letters he sent to Hoshido, and he was very grateful for Takumi's help in drafting the letter. Takumi told him what phrases would smooth things over and look less forceful, what kind of sentence structure that would appeal to Ryoma best, and all in all, after a few hours of working Leo could say that for once he was confident in the letter that he would be sending off.

 

Taking a glance out his window, Leo noticed that the sun was high in the sky; they'd been working for hours now, and after sitting at a stiff desk for most of the day, had moved to the more comfortable chairs by the fireplace. He stretched lazily and slouched in his seat. "As king, I'm making it official - I believe this letter is complete and ready to be sent off."

 

Takumi stretched as well. "I agree. I believe that my brother will also be pleased with how it looks and will be able to deal with the other advisors and the issue accordingly. When will you have it sent off?"

 

Leo hummed, allowing his eyes to close as he relaxed into his seat. "Since this is important, I'm going to send Niles to deliver it, as he's the one I trust the most with something as big as this." Before he could forget, Leo sat up straight one more time. "I wanted to discuss something with you."

 

"What is it?"

 

"As I'm sure that you saw, the majority of our land is completely infertile, and many of my people are unable to find work. A lot of the villagers used to work the land to earn their keep, but now there's nothing for them to do. I know that Hoshido has an excess of land that isn't being used to farm, and I wanted to see what you thought about possibly doing some form of exchange; Hoshido would lend out its spare land, and Nohr would... This is where I need your knowledge of Hoshido. I have to admit I'm rather stumped on what Hoshido would need that Nohr could provide."

 

Takumi frowned. "I like the idea, and I believe Ryoma would as well..." He paused, and in what could have only been a few seconds but what felt like forever, Leo began wondering if the idea of his would even be possible. "Oh, I know what you could exchange. Your steeds and a trainers as well."

 

"I'll be honest, that wasn't what I was expecting at all."

 

"Your horses are superior to ours in regards to stamina, and while flying is a quicker way to deliver letters and items, and it's faster to get places it's not always the safest way to travel. Having alternative methods of travel with horses as well trained as Nohr's would be wonderful for Hoshido. We could even use the same land we loan to Nohr for raising and training the horses."

 

"I see, essentially killing two birds with one stone."

 

"I also believe that my brother will see the wisdom in this as well, but perhaps it would be better to wait until after he deals with the traders before proposing this."

 

"Yes, I see the wisdom in that."

 

The two fell into a nice silence. Leo had cleared his schedule for the day to deal with the letter to Ryoma, stating that he hadn't known how long it would take to draft it, but in actuality he had known that it wouldn't take all day. Having someone else other than Niles in the castle that he felt he could be just Leo around, instead of King of Nohr, had been something he hadn't known he'd desperately needed. It had been far too long since he'd relaxed his guard around someone new, and he wanted one day to be selfish so that he could enjoy being himself again. Smiling, he reached over and tapped the chess board with his finger. "What would you say to a game of chess?"

 

Takumi let out a groan, but Leo could tell that it wasn't intended to be mean, if anything it was overly dramatic. "One of these days I'm going to teach you shogi and for once you won't be winning every match."

 

Leo chuckled. "You aren't doing _too_ badly. You're getting better with each game."

 

Not even twenty minutes later, Takumi was sitting cross-legged on the chair, hugging a pillow to his chest and glaring at the board. "Getting better with each game, _sure I am_."

 

Leo was having difficulty keeping a straight face. "You really are."

 

"You absolutely _destroyed_ me in _five moves_. HOW?"

 

"Lots of game play and practice, and I'm sure that when you teach me shogi, our situations will be reversed. One day you will win a game against me."

 

Takumi sulked and pulled the pillow closer to his chest. "Sure," he mumbled. "The day I beat you in chess is the day you and I get married."

 

Leo had been in the middle of setting up the board for another game when Takumi spoke; his hand slipped and he dropped the piece in his hand, and when he glanced up he could see that Takumi was just as red as he was. Unsure of how to reply to that, Leo quickly set the board up for another game. "Again?"

 

They spent the rest of the day in the library, playing chess and chatting about nothing and everything. They took their final meal there as well, and while eating Takumi started explaining how shogi worked, drawing a little diagram to show Leo. As he was explaining, Leo found his eyes moving from the diagram to Takumi's face, taking in how his eyelashes were shorter than Leo's, how his nose was smaller but ended at more of a point than Leo's did, how his lips were thinner, and _I wonder what it'd be like to kiss him..._

 

"Are you following me so far?"

 

Leo jumped and pulled his gaze away from Takumi's mouth quickly. "W-what?"

 

Takumi chuckled and Leo swallowed harshly. "It's hard to explain without the game actually in front of you. When you send Niles off to deliver the letter tomorrow I'll have him bring one of my shogi boards with him when he comes back. That way, you'll finally be able to play me."

 

Leo could hear the smugness in his voice and welcomed the distraction. "You mean I'll finally lose to you."

 

Takumi shrugged. "If you lose, you lose, right?"

 

They retired for the night a while after that, saying their good nights and leaving to their individual rooms. After he was sure he was gone, Leo double backed to the library and snatched the pillow that Takumi had been hugging. He hugged it all the way to his room, feeling like a child for believing that if he closed his eyes he could pretend he was giving Takumi the hug he'd wanted to been unable to give earlier, his face completely red, and once alone in his room he did something that he hadn't done since he'd been a child and tossed himself onto his bed, grinning so hard his cheeks hurt. He had a feeling that things were going to be looking up in the future.

 

It wasn't until he was laying down to sleep that he realized that, in his rush to finish up the official letter to king Ryoma, he'd forgotten that today had been the day in Nohr where if two people dined together that the bonds that tied them together were strengthened. It was typical for those who were courting to make sure to spend one meal together on that day. Remembering Takumi's soft smile and the happiness on his face when he'd been explaining (or attempting to explain) shogi to Leo, as well as his laughter and the way his hand had felt on top of Leo's when he'd grabbed it to get Leo's attention to point out that it was Leo's turn to move during their chess games was enough to make a blush appear on Leo's face. Grabbing his pillow, he covered his face and rolled over on to his side, only for him to inhale and get a nose full of Takumi's smell and realize that it had been the pillow Takumi had been hugging earlier. He shoved it away, face completely red.

 

_Oh, I'm screwed_.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that little bit about in nohr between those courting eating a meal together on a specific day meaning their bonds will strengthen was learned in xander's s rank with hinoka. i thought it was super cute. next chapter will have the last bit of angst and then it will be fluff all of the time. thanks for reading and please let me know what you thought!
> 
> [also, you can talk with me on tumblr ](http://soreymikleo.co.vu/)
> 
> [or on twitter](https://twitter.com/mikleeo)


	3. Bishop to C4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Please do not continue with that line of thought," Leo said quickly, "Your being here has aided me in many ways. Coming from the King of Nohr, you've aided in giving insight to how our relationship with Hoshido can grow, providing knowledge about Hoshido that no one in Nohr has; as just Leo," he gave Takumi a warm and gentle smile, "Your being here has given me something that means more to me than you'll know. Your friendship is invaluable, and if I have to deal with childish nobles who are mostly upset about Nohr's alliance with Hoshido and that the king is friendly with the Hoshido ambassador in order to keep you here, I will gladly do it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a huge thank you to carbonfootprint for being my beta!

_ "Corrin, I know that you really want to speak with Camilla and Xander but can we at least finish this game first?" _

 

_ "Sure, Leo, but you know that I'm horrible at chess. You win every single time, so I see no reason to keep playing like this." _

 

_ "Do... do you really dislike playing chess with me so much?" _

 

_ "It's not that I don't like playing with you, Leo. It's just never fun for me because I always lose. Can't we do something else?" _

 

_ "What would you like to do? We have some time before Xander and Camilla get here, and once they do you'll be working on your swordsmanship with Xander for the rest of the day. I thought we could spend some time together just the two of us for a while, since I hardly ever seem to get one on one time with you, brother…” _

 

_ "Well... how about you show me how you grow those plants with your magic again? It was really awesome seeing those trees pop out of the ground." _

 

_ "Y-you really think it was awesome?" _

 

_ "I do!" _

 

_ "... Very well, then. Can we at least finish this game, Corrin?" _

 

_ "Fine, fine. It's your move." _

 

_ Bishop to C4. _

 

***

 

Takumi's second favorite place in Castle Krakenburg was the archery range. 

 

While it wasn't as colorful as his practice area back home in Hoshido, he wasn't going to complain when it allowed him to practice with Fujin Yumi for the first time in a long time. The movement of drawing the bowstring and bow and the concentration it took allowed him to relax. Muscle memory brought his arm up to pull the arrow and bowstring back. As the first arrow flew, his mind drifted, thinking back to the previous weeks.

 

His stay in Nohr so far was more enjoyable than he'd ever imagined it would be for such an uninviting looking place. Now that peace had settled, the citizens of Nohr were starting to become ten times more cheerful than they had been when he had first arrived. The previous week he'd traveled with Leo to another town, and Leo's smile at seeing people walking around the streets, chatting, and laughing was enough to warm Takumi's heart. 

 

Leo looked healthier these days, more energetic, and apparently with that energy came the need to lend Takumi all of his favorite books. Every few days, Leo would inquire about Takumi's opinion on the book he'd just loaned him, and at the rate that the books were being given to him he was receiving new books faster than he could read them. There was a small pile that was growing on his desk, but Takumi didn't dare tell him to stop. He was enjoying the trust that was growing between them, and Leo seemed to light up at being able to loosen up around someone, to let go the title of King of Nohr even if only for a moment. Leo really needed those moments, especially considering the letter they'd received a few days ago. 

 

Takumi stopped shooting for a moment, taking the time to retie his hair but really allowing himself to wonder about how Leo was feeling. That morning, Corrin had arrived at the castle, bringing resources from Hoshido, and to say the reunion between the two brothers had been tense was an understatement. Takumi had excused himself so that the siblings could have privacy to speak.

 

Takumi pushed his bangs out of his face and sighed, looking up over his shoulder at the window that he knew was the closest one to the throne room, where Leo was currently residing, no doubt having a very awkward conversation with their sibling. Leo had talked to Takumi briefly about his issues with Corrin, and he'd admitted that the issues were mostly having to do with himself, not Corrin.

 

"I know, logically, that he wasn't the actual reason for Xander and Elise's death, but whenever I see him... I get irrational and I blame him. I  _ hate _ that, Takumi..."

 

They had been in Takumi's room. It had been late and Leo seemed even more drained than usual. It was one of the rare times that they'd been playing shogi and, naturally, Leo was losing their game. Takumi, who had been in the middle of making a move, glanced up to see Leo staring blankly at the board. Instead of moving, he placed his piece aside and laced his fingers together, elbows resting on the table and his chin on his hands.

 

"Well, you're angry, and that's understandable. If the situation had been reversed, I'm sure I would have been just as angry, maybe even more so."

 

Leo's fingers tightened the grip they had on each other and he bit his lip, "I don't know... I feel like I'm being unfair, childish even. I want the relationship that we used to have, but every time we're able to speak, I feel this rage rise up, but at the same time I feel so drained I'm unable to say anything about it."

 

Takumi wasn't sure of what to say. It felt like Leo just needed to talk and wasn't necessarily searching for advice, "Will you use Corrin coming to visit as an opportunity to talk then?"

 

Leo let out a long sigh, "I believe I will, and the reason why is mostly selfish, but I can feel the anger festering. I need to be rid of it before it eats me alive."

 

Takumi chuckled and sat straight again, "How wise, O King," he teased, and Leo faked tossing one of the shogi pieces at him, "I'll be honest here, I still have quite a bit of anger directed towards Nohr."

 

Leo placed the piece he'd been holding down on the table, giving Takumi his full attention. 

 

"Being here, seeing the people recover and how they act has helped, but admitting that part of the anger that I still feel is partly my own bias has helped. Being friends with you has helped most of all, but had I not looked at myself and recognized that bias that I had, I'd still be feeding my own ego about how Hoshido is better than Nohr and how we'll always be the stronger nation. Childish stuff, when you really look at it."

 

"Yes," Leo said, "But also very wise. You once told me that your brother said you'd make a wise ruler in your own right, and I believe him. You are very astute... on your good days." He dodged Takumi's half-hearted slap at his shoulder, "Let's continue the game."

 

Their nights consisted mostly of them playing both shogi and chess as a way to relax from stressful days dealing with courts or, most recently, dealing with nobles attempting to start rebellions and remove Leo from his position as king through completely erroneous claims. When they'd received the news early in the day, Takumi had been furious at the gall those nobles had. On the other hand, Leo had laughed before accepting the full report that he'd been offered, scanning over the parchment before handing it over to Takumi. Takumi read it quickly, anger still coursing through his blood.

 

"The nobles are claiming that they have lost villagers and therefore they've lost people who can work the farms and stores in the village, and that it is directly related to you becoming king? This is outrageous!"

 

Leo waved his hand in the air, "Post hoc ergo propter hoc." At Takumi's confused look, he explained, "After this, therefore because of this. The noble house of de Beauvais, who has always been the head of the village Autoire, is led by a moron of a man who spends funds as though they'll never run out of it. I've been unable to speak directly with de Beauvais as I wish to do it when I visit Autoire to aid them in rebuilding, and I've denied his request to travel to the castle as I know we'd never actually discuss anything since he'd spend the entire time complaining about my policy changes, and also that I've been entertaining an ambassador from Hoshido. He's just trying to make his issues something that have been caused directly from me becoming the King, since that's easier than taking responsibility for his actions."

 

"If my being here has been harming you and your reign as king in any way, I-"

 

"Please do not continue with that line of thought," Leo said quickly, "Your being here has aided me in many ways. Coming from the King of Nohr, you've aided in giving insight to how our relationship with Hoshido can grow, providing knowledge about Hoshido that no one in Nohr has; as just Leo," he gave Takumi a warm and gentle smile, "Your being here has given me something that means more to me than you'll know. Your friendship is invaluable, and if I have to deal with childish nobles who are mostly upset about Nohr's alliance with Hoshido and that the king is friendly with the Hoshido ambassador in order to keep you here, I will gladly do it."

 

Takumi honestly had no response to that, and the urge to give Leo a hug was so powerful that he couldn't resist it. Leo was warm in his arms, even though his body was a little stiff from the sudden hug, but Takumi didn't want to let him go, "I can't thank you enough for saying that," he whispered into Leo's hair, tears threatening to form, "I feel the same about you." 

 

He felt Leo's hand reach up and then he felt a few pats on his head and couldn't help the laugh that escaped him, "I'm glad... You are squeezing me a little tight though."

 

_ You're so precious to me,  _ Takumi thought as he loosened the grip he had on the young king, ”Oh, deal with it. Something tells me that you need a good hug."

 

There was a pause, "It has been a long time... Very well, I'll indulge you."

 

Holding Leo this close caused him to realize something: he would give anything to be allowed to hold Leo this close every day. It was shocking to him, but not enough to end the hug. Instead, he took the time to analyze this feeling. In a short time, Leo had grown to be one of his closest friends, and Takumi's fear of losing him, although unfounded, was too high for him to believe this was just because he didn't want to lose his friendship. There was something about Leo that always drew Takumi to him. Yes, he was very commanding as a king, always drawing the attention of everyone whenever he entered the room, but it happened whenever they were alone too. 

 

While playing shogi or chess, Takumi would find himself staring at Leo, examining his face, his body, his every move; how his eyelashes would flutter with each blink, how he'd bite his lip as he thought of his next move, and whenever he would do that Takumi would wonder just how soft Leo's lips were, and what it'd be like to kiss him. 

 

_ If it were possible, I'd court him _ .

 

The thought was so sudden, but it made sense. He eventually did release Leo from the hug, pondering why the thought of courting Leo made him so sad. Leo flashed him a smug smirk, "It seems someone needed that hug more than I did."

 

"Yeah, probably..." 

 

Now, days later, shooting Fujin Yumi in effort to keep his mind off of how Leo was doing while speaking with Corrin, which he was failing at, he realized that the idea of courting Leo wasn't what made him sad. In fact, it made him feel the exact opposite. What made him sad was the fact that he'd never be able to do anything about it. As King, Leo had obligations to fulfill, and beginning a relationship with the Hoshido ambassador was not one of them. 

 

Shaking his head, Takumi formed another arrow.  _ I have his friendship, _ he thought,  _ That's more than enough _ .

 

***

 

It was a rare moment that Leo was at a loss for words, but as he sat in front of his adopted brother he found that he couldn't quite find the words to say what he knew he needed to say. Corrin looked just as uncomfortable at the silence between them, but Leo couldn't open his mouth to end it. 

 

" _ You can do it _ ," Takumi had said to him before he'd left for the archery range, and Leo, almost desperately, latched on to the memory of Takumi's hand on his shoulder for courage.

 

"It's... nice to see you again, brother," he said, his voice not as strong as he'd like it to be.

 

Corrin jumped a bit, as if startled, and then he gave Leo a gentle smile, "It's good to see you as well, Leo,” he flushed, "Uh, wait, sorry, I mean, Your Majesty."

 

Leo couldn't help but wince,”Hearing that from you is somehow more awkward than when Takumi says it. I'll tell you the same thing I told him: call me Leo when we're in private. I get enough of the title during the day." For as angry as Leo was, Corrin was still his only living brother, and forcing Corrin to refer to him as only his title was not the step towards reconciliation that he needed and wanted.

 

Corrin seemed to perk up at that, "Oh? So Takumi doesn't call you by your title?"

 

Leo shook his head, "I consider Takumi my friend," he admitted,  _ and possibly something more. _

 

Corrin seemed to relax his posture a bit, ”As I got to know Takumi during the war," he started, and Leo bit back the urge to snap  _ yes, when you abandoned your family _ , "The more I learned about him the more I came to the conclusion that had you two met under different circumstances, you would have been the best of friends. I'm glad that you were able to get past your differences." And here Corrin paused, dropping his smile and almost hesitantly scooting forward on his chair to be closer to Leo, "My question is, can we?"

 

When Leo didn't answer, Corrin moved closer again. 

 

"I've missed you, my little brother. I've missed you more than I can stand at times."

 

Leo clenched his hands into fists and looked Corrin directly in the eyes, "I miss you as well," he nearly whispered, "But when I see you, all I can see is Xander and Elise. I see them every time I look at you and I can't tell if I'm happy about that or angry. I don't want to blame you for their deaths, but I  _ do _ at times."

 

Corrin dropped his gaze to lap, "I-I understand that... I see them in many things, actually. Even all the way in Hoshido. I see Xander in how hard everyone is working to rebuild now that there's peace. I see Elise in every cheerful smile,” he paused, before he slowly reached out and took Leo's hand, "I see them both in you, most of all."

 

Leo's eyes widened, "What?"

 

"Niles has been giving me updates on you and how you've been doing. He said that you've been working so hard, and you can see the results. You've been king for close to a year, and yet you've achieved so much and you've healed Nohr like how I  _ know  _ Xander would have had he still been here. You've remained strong and steadfast in your beliefs, in your policies, just like Elise was with everything she believed in... I'm sure they'd both be very proud of you right now, Leo."

 

Leo sniffed, determined not to cry, "Thank you for that, Corrin." Maybe, with time, he would look at Corrin and not feel the anger that always rose up, but he now realized he needed to work towards that goal instead of waiting to see if the pain went away. Taking a deep breath, he squeezed the hand that was holding his, "So, Niles has been giving you updates?"

 

At this, Corrin flushed and Leo raised an eyebrow.

 

_ Ah, so that's how it is _ .

 

"I'm sorry, but it was the only way I was able to see how you were doing without making you uncomfortable with my presence."

 

Leo smirked at him, "It was also a way of staying in contact with Niles, wasn't it?"

 

If possible, Corrin's face turned even more red, "W-what are you talking about?"

 

Leo raised an eyebrow at him, "Even though we've been apart, I can still read you like an open book."

 

Corrin coughed, "Am I really that obvious?" 

 

"Painfully."

 

Corrin ducked his head, "Is... is this okay with you? I mean, I'd never take Niles away from your services, and I doubt he'd leave you either. I just... I enjoy my time with him, you know? Spending time with him is never dull and in his own interesting and definitely unique way, he makes me smile. It's kind of hard to imagine my life without him in it now, you know?"

 

And Leo did know. He thought about Takumi, how close they'd gotten in such a short time, and how happy he felt when he was spending time with Takumi. Gods, even  _ thinking _ about Takumi was making his heart race. When he was with the Hoshidan Prince, time ceased to matter, his title ceased to matter, and his worries melted away. He wanted to spend the rest of his life making Takumi smile and laugh and  _ Gods... I... want him. _

 

"Yes, I understand..." Leo shook his head, his own revelation still a bit of a shock to him, ”I guess I just can't wrap it around my head that my brother is interested in my retainer."

 

Corrin laughed, "That's fair. Hey, it's been a while since you've called me brother. Can I get a hug?"

 

And at that, Leo was able to let go of some of his anger, "I don't know, can you?"

 

"Are you seriously making me asking again but with correct grammar?"

 

In response Leo raised an eyebrow.

 

"Fine.  _ May _ I get a hug."

 

Leo huffed but opened his arms, "Very we - "

 

Corrin launched himself at him, giving Leo the tightest hug he'd ever received. As Leo wrapped his arms around Corrin's back, his brother's grip tightened around his shoulders, “I really did miss you," Corrin whispered into his neck, and try as he might Leo was unable to stop the tears that started to form.

 

"So did I."

 

***

 

He found Takumi in the archery range, in full practice uniform (and Leo had to tear his gaze away from Takumi's bared shoulder and muscular back), and in the process of forming an arrow with his Fujin Yumi. He waited until Takumi had released the arrow before approaching him, "Nice aim," he said and Takumi shot him a look over his shoulder, ”What?"

 

"You were in there for quite a while," he said as he placed Fujin Yumi down, pushing part of his bangs out of his face and sitting down, "Did you guys get everything worked out?"

 

Leo shook his head, joining Takumi on the bench, "No, but I didn't believe that one conversation would fix everything. It was the start, and I do think that it will get easier with time."

 

Takumi nudged Leo's shoulder gently, "Now, since it was my advice that you took into consideration and gave you the courage to finally speak with Corrin, I'll take that thank you that you definitely owe me now for my wonderful advice."

 

Leo pushed Takumi away, "Ha, you wish!" But then he leaned against Takumi for a bit, "I do need to thank you though, I needed to talk to someone about how I felt and you listened without judging." 

 

He felt Takumi's arm settle around his shoulders, "You don't need to thank me for being a friend, Leo."

 

Fearing he would start tearing up, he stood and inclined his head towards the bows, ”What would you say if I said I'm taking you up on your offer to teach me how to use a bow?"

 

"Are you sure you're ready to be horrible at something else?" Takumi smirked at him as he stood, heading over to where the practice bows lay. Leo followed him, frowning. 

 

"It can't be that hard," he said as Takumi handed him a bow.

 

It was that hard. Leo's frown was threatening to take up permanent residence on his mouth as he failed yet again to shoot the arrow and not have it immediately crash to the ground. Takumi, the dastard, was muffling his laughs from behind his hand. 

 

"Do you want my help yet?"

 

"Will you stop laughing?"

 

Takumi placed an arm around his shoulders and squeezed, "If you can actually shoot an arrow straight,  _ then _ I'll stop laughing."

 

Leo made a show of huffing dramatically, "Fine then, I am requesting your assistance in learning how to shoot this blasted thing." Takumi moved to stand behind him and as he grabbed Leo's arms, Leo said, "Next time, it'll be me teaching you how to use a tome, and then we'll see who will be laughing."

 

Takumi was still snickering as he arranged Leo's arms.,”It can't be  _ that _ hard," he teased, and Leo held back smirking.

 

_ Oh, that's what you think. _

 

One split second later he realized just how close Takumi was standing to him; with him being half a head taller, Takumi's breath was landing just on his neck, his head right by his ear and body almost pressed completely against Leo's.  The young king gulped and directed his gaze straight in front of him, focusing on the target ahead.

 

"Okay," Takumi said, his breath drifting across Leo's neck. Leo resisted shivering through sheer willpower, "First, your positioning is all off, you'll need to hold your arms up like this..." And he pulled Leo's arms into the correct position, Leo doing all he could to focus on what Takumi was teaching him instead of how good it felt having his friend this close. 

 

"Now," Takumi said once he had moved Leo's limbs to where they were supposed to be and he'd taken half a step back, "On the count of three, pull your arm back to let the arrow go. One... two - "

 

Leo yanked his arm back.

 

***

 

"Gods, I am  _ so sorry! _ "

 

Takumi waved his hand in the air, his other pressing the cloth Leo had given him to his nose to stop the bleeding, "It's completely fine..."

 

Leo stood in front of him, his head buried in his hands, "No, it's  _ not _ completely fine. I  _ elbowed you in the face _ . I made your nose bleed!"

 

Takumi pulled the cloth away from his nose and then gave Leo a soft smile. "It's fine. I've had worse injuries teaching others how to use a bow and arrow. Once a trainee actually shot me instead of the target we were using. With practice she became one of the best hunters that we have in Hoshido. These things happen."

 

Leo finally pulled his face out of his hands and gave Takumi's nose a look, "It looks like it's stopped bleeding now. Does it feel broken at all?"

 

Takumi chuckled, "I don't think you hit me with enough force for your elbow to break it, but no. It feels fine, just a little tingly but that will go away eventu- "

 

As if on impulse, Leo leaned down and pressed a kiss to the left side of Takumi's nose. One split second later he jumped back, his face feeling like it was going to explode, to see that Takumi wasn't faring much better, the archer's hand hovering just over where Leo had kissed, "I-I'm sorry! When-whenever Elise would get hurt when she was younger, we would always kiss her injury to 'make it better' and, oh Gods, forgive me, I didn't mean to "

 

This time, it was Leo whose words were cut off when Takumi grabbed his shoulder and pulled. For Leo, time seemed to slow down in the seconds that he was being pulled down. He was acutely aware of Takumi's hot breath on his face.  _ Whatever he had for lunch today smells delicious, I'll need to ask him what it was _ . He noticed a small, almost invisible scar underneath Takumi's nose, just above his lip and wondered where he had gotten it. He noticed the moment when Takumi's eyes closed and when his brain finally realized what was going to happen electricity shot through his body. 

 

Takumi's mouth was warm, his lips chapped, and his nose firm. The angle of the kiss was odd and Leo's neck was going to ache if he kept it in that position so he tilted his head to the side, his arms moving as if on their own to wrap around Takumi's neck. He could feel Takumi's remaining hand land on his waist as Takumi broke their kiss, standing up quickly before leaning in again. Their noses bumped as they both moved their head in the same direction. They laughed, and then their lips found each other again. All Leo could truly focus on was how he felt like he needed to be closer, to keep Takumi's warm and delicious mouth on his own. He took a step forward, almost leaning his entire body against Takumi's and Takumi's grip on his waist tightened. The hand on his shoulder moved to his cheek, thumb stroking gently, and as they took one second to breathe before meeting up again, every worry in Leo's mind faded away.

 

Leo felt as if he was floating, lifting away from the ground and only Takumi's hold on him was keeping him from drifting away. For the first time in a long time his mind was silent, and when Takumi shifted his hand that was on his waist so that it was running through Leo's hair, their lips pressing almost desperately against each other, he whimpered, never wanting this feeling of happiness to leave him. He'd never kissed anyone before, and normally when trying something new his mind would be rushing. Was he doing this wrong? Was he supposed to be tilting his head to the left? What was he supposed to do when Takumi's tongue brushed against his lips? His mind was absent of those thoughts. The only thing he was capable of thinking of was a repeated loop of  _ oh Gods, Takumi's kissing me. I'm kissing him. We're kissing each other. _

 

When they stopped kissing, Leo's lips tingling and the blood still rushing to his head, he didn't pull away. Instead he leaned his forehead against Takumi's, eyes still closed, and breathed. He could feel each inhale Takumi took, each exhale, but he feared opening his eyes, because something as wonderful as this could only be happening in his dreams and opening his eyes would mean facing the possibility that what had happened hadn't been real. 

 

And then he felt a kiss being placed on his cheek and warm breath following right after as Takumi let out a chuckle, "See, all of that nose bumping and it didn't hurt once. My nose is definitely not broken."

 

Leo gulped and finally,  _ finally _ opened his eyes to see Takumi giving him the happiest smile he'd ever seen, "Was this some sort of cultural exchange? Is this how you check if one's nose is broken in Hoshido?"

 

"And if it is? How does one find out if a nose is broken in Nohr?" Takumi's thumb was still stroking his cheek, but his hand had moved and now with each stroke his thumb brushed against the corner of his mouth. Leo feared his brain was broken.

 

"Well, first you'd need to examine how you injured your nose, and then once you had done that, you'd need to see a healer and - "

 

"Leo?"

 

Leo gulped again at how husky Takumi's voice had sounded, "Yes?"

 

"Shut up." And then they were kissing again, this time with less bumping of noses and more of Takumi's hands being unable to keep still. They slid up and down his back, to his waist, and then finally back to Leo's cheeks as they ended the kiss with a few quick pecks, "As attractive as your babbling is, I do like you when you're breathless just a bit more."

 

_ Well _ . Leo pulled back a bit and frowned down at him, "That sounded like something that Niles would say."

 

"Oh Gods,  _ it does _ !" Takumi made to pull away, but Leo didn't allow him to go too far. He grabbed Takumi's hand quickly and intertwined their fingers together, "I completely ruined the moment between us, didn't I?"

 

Leo rubbed his thumb in a circle over Takumi's hand, "Not  _ completely _ ."

 

Takumi raised an eyebrow, "Me reminding you of your rather perverted retainer just after we kissed didn't ruin the moment?"

 

"Well, when you put it that way..."

 

They looked at each other; for some reason, Leo couldn't stop the laugh that escaped his mouth and before he knew it, Takumi had joined him, "What are we doing, Takumi?"

 

Takumi, still laughing, pressed their foreheads together, "I don't know. All I know is that I liked it. I really do like you, Leo. I find you attractive, intelligent, and I'm at my happiest when I'm around you."

 

Leo gave in to temptation and gave Takumi a quick kiss, "It's the same for me... Do you want to explore what this could be together?"

 

A soft kiss was pressed to his lips, "I'd like that."

 

They continued kissing for a moment longer, Leo realizing that he could easily become addicted to kissing Takumi. It was already becoming one of his favorite things to do. "And to think," he said in between kisses, the words fumbling out of his mouth, “To think that something good could come out of me being open and wise enough to something learn something new," he teased.

 

"I bet that's a first."

 

"But hopefully not the last."

  
"Yes," Takumi stated, pressing one final kiss to Leo's temple before they held each other tightly in a warm embrace, ”Definitely not the last."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [come yell at me about leokumi on twitter](https://twitter.com/mikleeo)


	4. Queen to XF7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so. much. fluff. 
> 
> as always, any mistakes in the chapter are mine. i was too impatient to get this chapter up so it's going up without being looked over by someone else. anyway, enjoy and let me know what you think!

_“Leo?”_

 

_“Hm?”_

 

_Pause._

 

_“Do you remember all those months ago, when we were first started to play chess together?”_

 

_“Yes, I believe I remember the day you’re speaking of. Why do you ask?”_

 

_Queen to XF7._

 

***

 

The announcement had been a surprise to Takumi, but looking back on the past few years, he knew somewhere that it would have happened. "It was inevitable," he told Leo later that night after he'd been let into the King's chambers.

 

"Do you agree with his decision?"

 

Takumi had already stripped down to his small clothes and was climbing underneath the covers when he answered the question. "Well, there isn't really anything I could do or say if I disagreed with him since it's not my place but, yes. I agree with him. The time is right, and I believe he made a good choice in who he'll be marrying."

 

Leo joined him in the bed not long after, hand rubbing at his shoulder as he fluffed up his pillows. "Do you think the citizens of Hoshido will be okay with Ryoma marrying someone from Nohr?"

 

Takumi gestured for him to turn around and once Leo had, he placed his thumbs on the spot that was causing Leo pain and began to rub. "Well, Scarlet proved herself more than once that she was on Hoshido's side, and everyone trusted her by the end of the war. I don't believe that she'll have anyone giving her grief about being from Nohr."

 

Leo tilted his head back so that he could look at Takumi in the eye. "It sounds like there's a 'but' there."

 

Takumi pressed a kiss to his forehead and then pushed Leo's head back so he was looking down. "Keep your head there, I can get at the knot better when it's relaxed like that," he resumed his massage, thinking. "I think it's most likely that she'll get grief from those who were hoping that Ryoma would take them as his wife. He is, or I guess was, a popular bachelor. But with his choice of Scarlet, he'll know that his wife loves him for him, and not because he's the King of Hoshido."

 

They fell into a comfortable silence, Leo letting out the occasional moan when Takumi pressed on a particularly stubborn knot. The relaxed atmosphere of the room grew, and Takumi took the time to think back on the past months fondly.

 

 _Seven months and nineteen days_ , he thought. _That's how long we've been courting_.

 

Seven months of awkwardly exploring their new relationship, of figuring out how they fit together; where they agreed, where they disagreed, and where they would meet in the middle. Navigating the waters was much easier done when they were both on the same boat and willing to go at it together. Takumi had seen many a relationship fail because the partners had been unwilling to compromise on the silliest of things. Luckily, being honest with each other was something they weren't having an issue with. It was just talking about things that they found rather embarrassing that was the hard part. Leo, while affectionate in private, wasn't fond of affection in public while Takumi was a very hands on kind of guy, and after much talk they'd agreed to meet in the middle. Holding hands and quick kisses were as far as Leo would go outside of closed doors, but it was enough for Takumi. _Leo_ was enough.

 

He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to the bottom of Leo's neck. "Feeling better?"

 

"Mmm, yes, thank you," Leo mumbled out. "One might think that sitting all day doesn't make your neck sore at all, but it does."

 

"That and you had to deal with some rather annoying nobles today. I could practically feel your tension across the room."

 

Leo didn't respond for a while; Takumi could tell that his eyes were closed, pleased that Leo was at least relaxing enough that he'd maybe be able to sleep that night. "I kind of wanted to toss them out of the room using Brynhildr, but that would have been very immature of me."

 

Takumi grinned, giving Leo's neck another kiss. "You would have enjoyed it, though."

 

"Immensely,"  Leo said through a yawn. "Had they been discussing anything worthwhile I would have been more involved, but they were mostly arguing over funds and selfish needs, nothing that would benefit Nohr as a whole. I know that they got away with it when my father was ruling, but no longer."

 

Takumi's heart filled with pride; Leo was really starting to grow into his role as king. While he still had moments where he doubted himself, Takumi looked back on how Leo had been when he'd first arrived and could see barely any trace of the defeat and loneliness he'd seen.

 

Of course, things weren't perfect. Many of the nobles were still unhappy with the radical new policies, and a few riots had begun. While not a threat in the beginning, Leo had still been forced to end them quickly so that no harm came to innocent civilians. Two nights after the order had been given to stop one of the rebellions, Takumi had entered his room to find Leo sitting on his bed, pillow hugged to his chest. He looked so tired that Takumi didn't hesitate to sit next to him and pull him into a hug.

 

"Did I do the right thing?" Leo whispered, sounding very much like the young man that he was, and not Nohr's strong King. "I want to rule this nation peacefully, but I'm only a year into my reign and I've already resorted to violence to solve a growing problem. Is it even possible to rule Nohr peacefully?"

 

Takumi didn't know what to say, since he didn't know what Leo could have done otherwise. "You told the soldiers to try to sort it out peacefully first, but if they refused to do their best to keep from killing. Aside from what you did, there's nothing else you could have done."

 

Leo folded his legs, leaned heavily against Takumi, and in a childish moment admitted, "Being King is hard."

 

At that, Takumi had been unable to keep a laugh from escaping. "I don't envy your situation, that's for sure. You might not think it, but you're doing a very good job here. I recently received a report from Hoshido and Ryoma stated that the relations between Nohr and Hoshido have never been this solid. We seen for ourselves that the cities and villages are starting to thrive to the best that they can, and there are now people on the streets daily as opposed to living underground. Just keep remembering those achievements when you get down on yourself."

 

Leo pressed a kiss to Takumi's shoulder through his shirt. "Thank you for that, Takumi."

 

That had been the first time they'd spent the night in the same bed. They'd talked until the moon was high in the sky and Leo had been unable to keep his eyes closed. Knowing about Leo's issues with insomnia when he was stressed, Takumi hadn't the heart to move him and instead had pulled the blanket over the both of them and settled further into the mattress. He'd fallen asleep to the sound of Leo's even breathing, and while he was visited by a nightmare during that night, he'd had the feeling that even though he was terrified in his dream, there was something there, a warm feeling in the back of his mind, and come morning he woke up a little tired, but for once after a nightmare he felt calm. He sat up slowly, running a hand through his hair; Leo was still sleeping silently next to him, having looked like he hadn't moved at all. Takumi hated to wake him, so he stayed in bed, his mind running.

 

Even after the war, Takumi's nightmares (while not as often) still troubled him. He saw his family in situations that he knew had never happened; Ryoma falling to an unknown Nohrian, Sakura being dragged away, Hinoka being shot out of the sky. He'd always woken from those nightmares with his heart racing and his mind telling him he needed to check on his family, to make sure they're okay and to prove to himself that the nightmare had been just that. This time, though, he didn't have that urge. His hand sought Leo's unconsciously, tangling their fingers together. He felt grounded, in more ways than one, and it was an odd feeling. He wondered if it was because throughout the night he'd been aware that Leo had been close, someone that he trusted with his life and it had comforted him as he slept. It was really the only explanation that he could come up with.

 

Leo woke up not too long after Takumi had, stretching on the bed and blinking up blearily at him. "Oh," he said a moment later, sitting up slowly and rubbing at his eyes and shifting to sit cross-legged. "I fell asleep, I'm sorry."

 

"You don't need to apologize," Takumi said quickly. "It was easy to tell that you hadn't slept in the past few days, you needed your sleep."

 

Leo yawned, attempting to flatten his hair but once his hand moved it popped right back up again. Takumi chuckled. "I feel very rested, thank you. You are," he interrupted himself with another yawn, "very warm." His body tilted to the side as his eyes slipped closed again, and Takumi quickly caught him before he toppled over the edge of the bed.

 

"Whoa, there," he exclaimed. "Are you still tired?"

 

Leo shook his head, his eyes still closed. "It takes me quite a while to wake up in the morning..."

 

 _Quite a while is an understatemen_ t, Takumi thought later as he watched Leo stumble around the King's chambers, still half awake. He’d helped Leo walk there, actually resorting to physically guiding him into the room when Leo almost ran into a wall."Uh, are you sure you don't need help?"

 

Leo shook his head, peering at the item he held in his hands. "I've never required help when getting dressed in the mornings, and I'm not going to start now." He paused, holding up the clothing item to the light. "This is a sock," he said.

 

"Yes, it is."

 

"That's why it wasn't fitting my hand."

 

Takumi bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Are you sure you wouldn't like my help with picking out your clothes for the day? You're staring at that sock like it'll solve all of the problems in the world."

 

Leo didn't answer for a moment, and then he inclined his head towards Takumi, eyes still on the sock. "Hmm?"

 

In the end, Takumi had learned just how to handle Leo in the morning, and thankfully an hour later Leo was awake and acting like his usual self, although rather flustered at the fact that Takumi had helped make sure he put his clothes on properly.

 

"I feel like a child," he'd said as they ate breakfast. "I just... have a hard time fully waking up and unfortunately, while my father was ruling if you were late to whatever you needed to be attending there were... consequences. I learned to get dressed quickly."

 

 _And wrongly_ , Takumi didn't say, instead handing a pouting Leo a strawberry and taking a bite of one for himself so that his mouth would be occupied.

 

They were constantly learning little things about each other, small habits that they either found adorable or downright annoying. Leo had a habit of tapping his foot in the air when he was reading, and while initially it wasn't annoying, the longer it went on the more Takumi found himself being distracted by it and no longer able to focus on what he was doing at the time. Leo learned about Takumi's habit of playing with a strand of his hair, twirling it around his fingers over and over again in the most annoying way. But even as annoying as some of the little things could get, they seemed to add to just how far gone they were about each other.

 

It was no secret around the castle that the two were courting each other, but thankfully knowledge of their relationship never passed the castle walls. Leo was still unsure of himself some of the time as Nohr's King, and after a lengthy conversation they both agreed to keep quiet about their relationship until things in the nation settled down enough that they could handle whatever scandal revealing their relationship would inevitably bring up. They had already caused one inside the castle walls by starting to spend each night in Leo's chambers. If sleeping in the same bed caused such a scandal with just the castle staff who already knew about their relationship, then telling the entirety of Nohr during unstable times was not a good idea.

 

Plus, they had yet to inform Takumi's family of their courting, and if the nation of Nohr found out before Takumi had a chance to tell his brother, Takumi didn't know what would happen. He'd wanted to wait, to be sure of what he had with Leo before he informed his brother. Seven months later Takumi could say with unshaken confidence that he knew this was what he wanted for the rest of his life: to be with Leo, to keep their late night chess and shogi games, their book discussions, and most importantly of all, to be able to witness Leo's pathetically adorable attempts at putting his clothes on right in the morning.

 

Thinking of Ryoma brought his mind back to the present and he ended his massage with one final squeeze and a kiss to the side of Leo's neck. "Since we'll be traveling to Hoshido for Ryoma's wedding, I believe that we should tell him about us."

 

Leo tilted his head back once again and blinked up at him. "Are you sure?"

 

Takumi nodded, falling back against the soft pillows and feeling Leo follow him; once Leo was settled, Takumi moved so he was resting his head on Leo's chest. "It'll be as good of as time as any, and it'll go over better if we inform him in person. I can only imagine his reaction if we told him through a letter."

 

He felt Leo's fingers running through his hair and closed his eyes. "He'd probably show up unannounced and demand we explain everything in person. It would be rather interesting to see him attempting to force his way into the castle, although the image in my head is probably not quite what he'd look like,  it's still entertaining."

 

"Yeah," Takumi huffed out, "for _you_ maybe. Enough talk of this, we have a long journey to Hoshido tomorrow, and we'll need our sleep."

 

A kiss was placed on the top of his head and he heard the candle being extinguished before he allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

 

***

 

"We're braiding your hair before we fall asleep," Leo said later the next day once they were settled into their carriage and well on their way towards Hoshido. He felt Takumi turn his head towards him but his gaze remained on the scenery they were passing. There were people out working on the land, others talking to each other, and he even saw some children playing about. It brought a smile to his face.

 

"How come?"

 

Leo turned away from the window and gave Takumi a frown. "More often than not I've woken up with your hair in my mouth and the few times that you've braided your hair before we sleep I've woken up with no hair in my mouth. I will do the braiding if it's something that you would prefer."

 

Takumi grinned at him. "We've been sharing a bed for months now and you're just now bringing this up? I thought you would have caved much earlier than this."

 

Leo's mouth fell open without his permission. "Wait, you knew this?"

 

Takumi shrugged. "I wake up earlier than you most of the time, of course I knew. I'm the one who ends up with spit covered hair in the morning, but you always make the cutest face when you wake up and try to get the taste of my hair out of your mouth. Oh, don't pout, I agree to putting my hair in a braid each night. It actually makes it easier to deal with in the morning."

 

Mumbling out that he most certainly was not pouting, Leo crossed his legs and went back to looking out the window. "I believe that the land is looking healthier," he said, and Takumi moved over so that he could look out the window as well; his hair fell into Leo's face and he blew air at it to get it to move away.

 

"You're right. And the people look happy too." Takumi's hands grasped both of his shoulders in a firm grip. "Things are looking up, Leo."

 

Leo accepted the kiss on the cheek Takumi gave him before shifting in his seat so that his back was facing the wall of the carriage. "Come here," he said, gesturing for Takumi to lay his head in his lap. Takumi raised an eyebrow at him, but Leo rolled his eyes and pointed at his lap. "Take out your hair tie and lay your head down. I know for a fact that you didn't sleep well last night."

 

Doing as he was told, Takumi rested his head in Leo's lap, glancing up at him with a curious look on his face. "You slept through the night, so how do you know I didn't sleep well?"

 

Leo moved some of Takumi's hair so that it wouldn't pull and began to rub at his scalp. "For one, you just confirmed that you didn't sleep most of the night, and two, you've got some rather large dark circles under your eyes." He tapped underneath Takumi's left eye with a finger. "Care to tell me what was on your mind that made it hard for you to sleep?"

 

Takumi let out a sigh, his breath causing his bangs to float up before falling to the side. "Honestly? I'm nervous about telling Ryoma about is, and by extension the rest of my family and friends..." He paused, but Leo knew better than to interrupt. "It's not that I have any doubts about us or anything; it's the complete opposite in fact. I'm just worried that he'll be... disappointed, I guess is the right word. I know my worries are unfounded, as his opinions have changed for the better regarding Nohr, and especially with him marrying a Nohr native, but..."

 

Leo scratched a little at Takumi's scalp, understanding completely. "I understand. Had Xander been here, I probably would have been feeling the same. You just want him to approve and not knowing if he will or not is making you think of the worst case scenario."

 

Takumi turned his head and pressed a gentle kiss to Leo's palm. "I couldn't have asked for someone to know me better than you do. That's exactly it. I've never been in this serious a relationship before, and everything is so new. There's no book on how to make everything work right, we can piss each other off easily and even if our intentions are good, we can cause injury to each other as well. My family may disapprove, and I can only imagine how Oboro will react..." Takumi reached up with a hand and placed it on Leo's cheek. "I don't want them to disapprove, because that means they'll be even more upset when they realize that this is how I plan to spend the rest of my life. I don't want to end this with you."

 

Leo repeated Takumi's earlier motion and pressed a kiss to his palm. "I don't either. You've become so ingrained in my everyday life that it's impossible to imagine the future without you."

 

"I know that nothing will change once they know; they can't force me to return to Hoshido and I don't plan on leaving Nohr, but it will make visiting them harder knowing they don't approve." Takumi smiled and let out a small laugh. "Look at me, what a worry wart I'm being. my mind is a mess."

 

"You should rest, maybe sleeping will allow everything to settle."

 

He watched as Takumi nodded and let his eyes close. Leo continued rubbing Takumi's head long after he heard his breathing even out as a sign that he was finally sleeping. Eventually, Takumi's warmth and even breaths caused Leo's body to relax and he soon joined him in sleeping.

 

***

 

They arrived in Hoshido to a parade of people waiting to greet them. After having spent the majority of the travel in the carriage, Leo was practically bursting with the need to stretch his legs and he could tell that Takumi felt the same, but there was procedure to exiting the carriage which meant that he had to wait. As he waited, he watched the faces of those in the crowd, as if looking for a sign that he wasn't welcome, but every face he saw didn't hold one hint of anger or disgust at the knowledge that the King of Nohr was in their land. Instead, they looked excited. Maybe it was the celebration around Ryoma's upcoming wedding, but the festive air seemed to lighten the mood.

 

The door to the carriage opened and, as per tradition, Takumi exited first, barely able to contain his excitement at seeing his family and friends again. Instead of heading where his family was standing like Leo thought he would, Takumi held out his hand for Leo to take; once Leo had given him his hand, he held it was Leo exited the carriage, letting go only once Leo had both feet on the ground. "After you, Your Majesty," he said with a slight bow and Leo had to try really hard to not roll his eyes.

 

He greeted every gaze that he met with a small smile, his smile growing when a little child no more than four waved wildly at him. At the end of the line stood Ryoma, next to him the woman Leo assumed was his fiance, and then Hinoka and Sakura. Ryoma greeted Takumi with a warm smile, and then he greeted Leo with a small bow; Leo repeated the gesture. "I welcome you once again to Hoshido, King Leo," he said, his voice loud enough for the crowd to hear. "I am pleased that you and our ambassador have arrived safely."

 

"Thank you for being here in person to greet our arrival," Leo said, and once he and Ryoma moved up the steps to the castle entrance, the people behind them began to leave, heading back to whatever tasks they'd been doing before Leo had arrived.

 

Once inside the castle, Hinoka and Sakura ambushed Takumi with hugs and 'I missed you's, takumi giving back as good as they gave. Two people, a man with brown hair and a woman with dark blue hair, walked up to Takumi after his family had backed away, and the way Takumi greeted them told Leo that those people must have been his retainers. He couldn't focus on Takumi now, though. He pulled his attention away from Takumi's ecstatic grin and answered Ryoma's question regarding their journey.

 

"No, there was no trouble at all. It didn't even rain, which was the only weird thing about this trip."

 

Ryoma let out a booming laugh. "Takumi wrote home many times about Nohr's weather; one day I'll need to travel there to experience it myself."

 

They spent a few moments chatting idly, about how Hoshido and Nohr were fairing, until Ryoma fell a little silent. "Forgive me if this is a rather forward statement, but you are looking well."

 

Leo raised an eyebrow at him. "Was I looking unwell before?"

 

Ryoma shook his head. "You seemed rather tired the last time we saw each other, but now you are looking healthier."

 

Leo gave him a smile to indicate that he was not offended by Ryoma's statement. "Things were harder then, but now I find myself with a very capable ambassador and subjects who are willing to work with me for the benefit of Nohr than work against me."

 

Ryoma, obviously, latched onto Leo's statement regarding Takumi. "He's been helpful then? He doesn't write a lot about how he believes he's doing, so I was curious."

 

"He has been invaluable, I assure you, King Ryoma." In more ways than you can even imagine.

 

Leo was led towards the guest room he always stayed in while in Hoshido, informed that dinner would be held within an hour and someone would come to retrieve him once it was being served, and left to himself. Leo went about completing the routine he always did once he was in Hoshido; he took off his traveling cloak and shoes, slipping on the softer sandals that were always provided, and then headed over to the window and opened it. He could always lose himself in the beautiful view that his room provided, and the strength of his hope that one day he'd be able to look out of his room back in Nohr and see something just half as beautiful overcame him.

 

A knock on the door drew his attention away from the window. _There’s now way that I have been sitting here long enough for dinner to have already been prepped_ , he thought, but he called out for whoever was at the door to enter and to his surprise, Takumi slipped in quickly before closing the door. Leo raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be catching up with your friends and family?"

 

Takumi walked over to him, grin ever present on his face. "I'll see them tomorrow. I was coming to make sure that you'd received your surprises."

 

"My what?"

 

Takumi took his shoulders in his hands and pushed him in the direction of the dresser. "Why don't you open it and find out?"

 

Confused, Leo did as he was told and once the dresser was opened he let out a little gasp. Inside was a brightly colored and intricately designed kimono, and next to it a (rather plain next to the kimino, but still nice looking) yukata. The fabric looked so soft but Leo was hesitant to touch it. "These are for me?"

 

Takumi reached in and pointed at the kimono. "This is for Ryoma's wedding. We can't have you as the only person not wearing something like this, so I had my retainer Oboro make one for you. The other is for casual wear around the castle. Plus," Takumi blushed a little, "I've always wanted to see you in one."

 

"Thank you for this, Takumi," Leo breathed. That was when he noticed the socks that the Hoshidans always wore with those sandals and he paused. "Do I have to wear the shoes?"

 

Takumi chuckled. "It is part of the outfit."

 

Leo reached down and took one of the sandals in his hand. "I don't know how you guys walk in these things, especially while wearing socks. I'm going to fall flat on my face!"

 

"Don't worry," was Takumi's response as he took the shoe from Leo's hand and put it back down. "I'll be there to catch you if you do."

 

They entertained themselves until they were called to dinner, their friendly little debate on whether or not it was possible to combine attacks of legendary weapons carrying them well into dinner until Hinoka rather bluntly informed them that it was like they were in their own little world and they should include the rest of the family as well. Averting their eyes, they joined in on the discussion of Ryoma's wedding, Takumi asking his brother to tell him how he proposed and listening with rapt attention as Ryoma proceeded to do so. For a man so bold and, at times, intimidating, seeing Ryoma flustered at the retelling of how he proposed helped Leo see him less than just Hoshido's King and more like Takumi's older brother. He and Xander would have gotten along well, I think, and a few seconds later Leo realized that for the first time since his passing, Leo had thought of Xander and hadn't felt any pain.

 

 _Time heals all wounds_ , his brother once said to him.

 

_You were right, as always, brother._

 

***

 

The festivities leading up to the day of Ryoma's wedding took up most of their time. Takumi (with Oboro and Hinata following not too far behind) lead Leo throughout the entire capital of Hoshido, showing him some of the places that Takumi had loved to visit while growing up. He knew he was acting like a child who had just been given his most favorite piece of candy, but his joy at having Leo there to experience all that he loved about Hoshido wasn't able to be contained. Even though they were separated at night and it looked like they were both having to adjust to the change, Takumi could tell that Leo was enjoying learning all that Takumi was willing to teach him about Hoshido.

 

Three days into their visit, Takumi finally convinced Leo to wear his yukata as they spent the day in the castle. It was raining, and knowing how Leo felt about being outside in the rain, Takumi convinced him that now was as good of a time as any to try the yukata on. He was waiting outside Leo's room, having been pushed out the second he'd suggested that he help Leo put it on, when Ryoma walked up to him, greeting him with a fond smile. "Are you going to be showing him more of the castle today?"

 

Takumi nodded. "Yes, I can't show him the grounds where your wedding will be due to the rain, but there are some things here that I'd like to show him. Right now he's attempting to put on a yukata for the first time. I'm betting that he can't do it, though."

 

Ryoma stared at him for a moment too long, causing Takumi to shuffle his feet. "Takumi, I'm wondering why you've yet to inform me about your relationship with King Leo?"

 

From inside the room there was a loud thump as though something had ran into the wall. Takumi allowed the distraction for a moment before he turned his gaze back to his brother, stunned. "H-how did..."

 

"How did I know? I'd had a suspicion based off of the letters that you'd sent me. Most of your letters seemed to only speak about King Leo, and once you two arrived all I had to do was pay attention to how the two of you interacted. It was rather obvious once I connected the dots. I only have two questions," Ryoma folded his arms, a stern look on his face and Takumi braced himself. "When did this start and most importantly, are you happy?"

 

 _Wait, what_? "That's it? Those are the only two questions you have for me?"

 

Ryoma nodded. "At the moment and depending on your answers, yes."

 

Takumi exhaled a breath of relief. "Almost eight months ago," he said, answering the first question. "And as to your second question, yes. I don't believe I've ever been happier."

 

Ryoma studied his face, and for a moment Takumi felt like a child again, waiting to see if he'd performed the sword technique Ryoma had taught him correctly. "Then I am pleased," was all he said. "I am sure that your sisters will be as well, and no doubt they will approve of who you've chosen as your partner. King Leo has proven himself a kind and just ruler. He has been nothing but kind when he visits Hoshido, and if that's any test of his character then I believe he'll be a wonderful addition to our family."

 

"Whoa, hold on - "

 

"Takumi," Ryoma placed a hand on his shoulder and Takumi froze. "I'm happy for you."

 

Takumi didn't know what to say other than, "Thank you, brother."

 

Another thump and a muffled yelp from inside Leo's room drew their attention away from each other. "I'll leave you two be," Ryoma said. "It sounds like he needs some help in there, though. You should make sure he's okay."

 

Shaking his head, Takumi opened the door to see Leo sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing his head and glaring at the shoes on his feet. He sent Takumi a scathing look. "I told you I was going to fall flat on my face if I wore these shoes..."

 

Takumi's laughter echoed down the hall, his grin never leaving his face for the rest of the day.

 

***

 

When Takumi woke up, it was to the sun in his face, Leo in his arms, and his brother's words in his head.

 

_"I believe he'll be a wonderful addition to our family."_

 

Now that his relationship with Leo was known to his friends and family (after telling Ryoma - or unofficially telling Ryoma - about his relationship, telling the rest of his family and his retainers had been easy. The only one with any issue had been Oboro, but she hadn't said anything directly against it, and had only sent Leo a few glares so Takumi took that as a win), he no longer felt that he would have to resort to sneaking into Leo's room at night so that they could get a good night's sleep.

 

 _I wonder what he meant by that_ , Takumi thought, closing his eyes and snuggling closer to Leo's back in an attempt to catch a few more minutes of sleep.

 

After a couple of minutes of trying, Takumi opened his eyes and sighed. He'd wanted to get a few more minutes of sleep as the day would no doubt be long, but his mind was too awake now, and he knew that even  after getting a full night's sleep Leo would still need a little bit longer to become fully awake, especially considering he was still having trouble putting the yukata on. Takumi stretched, careful not to hit Leo in the face with his arms as he'd done a few times before, and then he propped himself up on his elbow so he could look at Leo's sleeping face. With love filling his heart, he brushed some of Leo's bangs out of his face. "Time to wake up, sleepy-head," he whispered, pressing gentle kisses up Leo's neck.

 

Leo's eyebrows furrowed and he frowned in his sleep, squirming as Takumi continued his small kisses. " _Nooo_ ," he whined as Takumi's kisses traveled up and down his neck, his legs kicking out as Takumi stopped his kisses and instead blew a wet raspberry right underneath his ear. "Takumiii, a few more minutes please..."

 

Takumi ended his assault with a quick peck to Leo's lips. "Sorry, but it's time we woke up. We have a long day ahead of us and you need more time to get ready." With that, Takumi rolled off of Leo and pushed the covers back, chuckling as Leo cracked open an eye and glared at him. "How many times have we had the argument I know that you're going to start?"

 

Leo sighed, sitting up slowly; Takumi reached over and did what he attempted to do every morning:  his hand pressed down on Leo's hair, hoping to flatten his bedhead but the strands that were sticking straight up returned to how they were positioned the second he removed his hand. "Way too many times, I'm pretty sure I have the words we always say completely memorised." Leo let out another sigh as he placed his feet on the ground. "I'm getting up now, I guess."

 

Takumi handed him his shirt and brushed his hair, watching as Leo stumbled around the room, looking for the yukata that Takumi had loaned him for the day. When Leo began putting the yukata on inside out, Takumi rolled his eyes and gestured for him to come over. "You know," he said softly, helping Leo put it on correctly, "I'm beginning to wonder if you're just pretending to struggle this much in the morning just so I'll help you get dressed each morning."

 

"Don't you do that anyway?" Leo yawned, tilting slightly to the side.

 

"That's true," Takumi said, helping pull the shirt over Leo's head. "Alright, I think you can finish the rest." He gave Leo a pat on the shoulder and then demanded, "Kiss?"

 

Leo blinked blearily at him before he puckered his lips. Takumi leaned forward and gave him an exaggerated kiss on his lips, rubbing at Leo's hips with his thumbs. He pulled away when instead of returning the kiss, Leo yawned into his mouth. "Gross," he said, watching Leo stumble backwards so he was sitting on the bed before handing him the brush so he could tame his bed head. As he watched Leo brush his hair and get angry when the brush got stuck on a particularly tangled rat, his brother's words came back to his mind.

 

_"I believe he'll be a wonderful addition to our family."_

 

Takumi sat up straight, eyes wide in realization. In front of him, Leo continued to battle with his hair, oblivious to Takumi's stare.

 

_Oh._

 

***

 

"Chess, in the garden?"

 

Takumi shrugged, his eyes following Leo as the King sat on the cushion that Takumi had pointed to a moment before. Once settled, Leo inclined his head at their surroundings. "I do have to admit, this is something that we'll probably never get to do in Nohr."

 

"You don't know that for sure," Takumi said as he put the chess board on the small table in front of them. "The soil in Nohr could become fertile enough to allow plants like ours to grow there. It'll just take time. Being optimistic never hurt too badly. White or black?"

 

"I'm pretty sure you have enough optimism for the both of us. Since I was white last time, I'll be black for this match."

 

"That works perfectly," Takumi said. "Do you want to set up the board or would you like me to?"

 

Leo shook his head, gesturing with a hand to the board. "Let's see if you can remember where all of the pieces go."

 

In a childish moment, Takumi stuck his tongue out at Leo, but he did set up the pieces and once they were settled he moved the first pawn. "You seem to be getting used to wearing those 'dastard shoes'," Takumi said, eyes on the board as Leo moved his own piece.

 

Leo glanced down at the shoes on his feet and wiggled his toes. "They take some time to get used to, but it's not that bad now." As Takumi took the time to decide where to move his next piece, Leo looked around the garden, admiring the different colors and the beautiful cherry blossom trees. "One day," he said as he watched Takumi move his queen, "I would like have a garden like this in Nohr."

 

"Oh?"

 

Leo reached for his next piece, giving Takumi a smirk. "Optimism, remember?"

 

"Now you'll take my advice? When it comes to gardening?"

 

"I love gardens," Leo shot back, barely noticing Takumi move his bishop. He quickly moved his own chess piece so he could look around at the garden again. "If it were possible, I'd love to have one that I could could take care of myself, but even if the soil becomes fertile enough, I'm afraid that being King means I won't have time for a garden."

 

" _When_ the soil becomes fertile enough," Takumi's voice drew his attention back to him, just in time to see him pick up his queen in between his fingers. He didn't move the piece though, just held it in his hand. "Optimism, remember?"

 

Leo nodded firmly. "Right, right." He watched as Takumi pondered over whether or not to move his queen and when a comfortable silence fell over them, he looked once again around at the garden. It really was quite beautiful, and seeing Takumi surrounded by all of the colors made him hope even more that one day, he could sit Takumi down in a garden back home, full of colors and smells, and everything would be just as beautiful as it was now.

 

“Leo?”

 

Leo glanced up, the tone of Takumi's voice once again pulling his gaze away from the beautiful flowers around them.“Hm?”

 

Takumi paused, as if not quite sure that he was going to be saying what he was trying to say, his hands still fiddling with the queen he was holding. “Do you remember all those months ago, when we were first started to play chess together? The day you told me I'd win a game of chess with you one day.”

 

“Yes, I believe I remember the day you’re speaking of. Why do you ask?”

 

Takumi hesitated again, whispered something that he couldn't hear, and Leo leaned forward on his cushion just as Takumi inhaled deeply. "Do you remember what was said, during that match?"

 

Leo frowned, thinking back. "Honestly, I don't remember that day too much, it was a long time ago, Takumi... I do remember you being upset that I beat you in five moves, and I said that once I learned shogi I was sure the situations would be reversed."

 

"Which they most certainly were," Takumi teased.

 

Leo rolled his eyes. "I've beaten you in shogi four times now," he said. "You've yet to beat me in chess."

 

"Ah," his partner said, and the look that Takumi shot him was enough to freeze Leo in his seat, heat coursing through his body. "That brings us back to my earlier question. Do you remember what was said during that match?"

 

Leo thought back, hard. What was said between them obviously held meaning to whatever Takumi was trying to say, but it had been so long ago and Leo had been so very stressed out and depressed that it was hard to remember those early days. He could see Takumi tapping his fingers against his thigh and his fondness for Takumi pulsed through him; no matter how patient he was with politics and government, Leo knew that his dear Takumi would never really outgrow how impatient he could be at times. Even after a few moments of thinking, Leo couldn't quite remember what Takumi wanted him to remember. He'd opened his mouth to tell him so when Takumi pulled one of the spare cushions that had been sitting off to the side to his chest and hugged it. "Oh," Leo stated, the familiar position causing the particular memory to come rushing forward. "I do remember what you said, but I don't know what that has to do with - "

 

Takumi slowly leaned forward and moved his piece; he put it down on its original spot and then pushed it towards its destination, eyes locked with Leo's and never moving. His queen slid from the spot on H5 that it'd been sitting right over to the open space on Leo's side of the board - XF7.

 

_"The day I beat you in chess is the day you and I get married."_

 

Leo inhaled sharply, his gaze shooting up from the chess board to Takumi's face. Takumi was still staring at him as intently as he had the first time they'd kissed. He felt Takumi take his hand and he let himself be pulled forward enough so that Takumi could place a gentle kiss on his palm. "Takumi."

 

Takumi kissed his palm again before he straightened up in his seat; it felt like hours before Takumi spoke, felt like Leo couldn't breathe, but he didn't dare move just in case him moving somehow broke the spell between the two. Leo's heart was pounding just as hard as it had been those few moments after he and Takumi had first agreed to begin their journey of a relationship together; it was pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears, and he almost missed the word that left his precious Takumi's mouth.

 

"Checkmate."

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> someone save me from these two
> 
> only one chapter left!
> 
>  
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/mikleeo)


	5. Checkmate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This," he said as he began tracing the constellation with their joined hands, "is the constellation Centaurus. In mythology, it was Centaurus who first grouped the stars of the night sky together into the constellations that we see now, and it was also Centaurus who taught humans how to read the sky. The myths say that he placed himself in the constellations to guide sailors on the sea so they could return home safely."

_“Checkmate.”_

 

***

 

"I still can't believe it's taken us this long to do this."

 

It was dark and a little chilly out, but for the first time in months the sky above them was clear, not a single cloud in sight, and Leo had approached Takumi before the end of the day and has asked if he'd be willing to go stargazing. Takumi had readily accepted, since it was common knowledge that when the skies were clear, the stars were even more beautiful in Nohr's night sky than in Hoshido. For all of the time they'd been together, they'd never once gone stargazing, a fact that both found deplorable.

 

Leo finished spreading the blanket down on the ground, taking the time to make sure it was as flat as it would get on the ground before taking the pillows that Takumi held out to him and placing them next to each other. He took one side of the blanket and laid on the ground, Takumi following not too long after. "It is rather strange, since I used to do this a lot as a child, that we’ve never done this as a date. But looking back on it, we have always been very busy so we've never found the time."

 

Takumi shot him a look that had butterflies forming in his stomach. No matter how long they’d been together, when he was with Takumi he always felt like he was experiencing their first kiss all over again and he’d never tire of that feeling. "Yes, we've been busy, but too busy to stargaze? It's been long overdue that we do this."

 

Leo nodded, sitting down on the blankets and stretching before laying down completely. Takumi joined him soon after, hurrying to lay his head on Leo's shoulder before spreading the second blanket he'd brought over them. "You know," he traced a few circles on Leo's chest with his finger, "when I was a child I used to lay out and create stories in my mind with the constellations. My favorite one was the lions, and I'd pretend on nights when my nightmares would be bad that they were protecting me. How funny," he teased,"that I'd later come to marry my very own Leo."

 

"Oh, ha ha," Leo huffed, but he accepted Takumi's kiss on his cheek nonetheless. "I could lie and say that Orion the Hunter was my favorite, but - "

 

"That would be too cheesy, especially for you."

 

Leo gave Takumi a gentle squeeze. "Actually, around this time of year I believe you actually can see my favorite constellation." He glanced around at the sky, eyes searching, and when he found what he'd been looking for he took Takumi's hand and pointed it in the direction he needed to look. "This," he said as he began tracing the constellation with their joined hands, "is the constellation Centaurus. In mythology, it was Centaurus who first grouped the stars of the night sky together into the constellations that we see now, and it was also Centaurus who taught humans how to read the sky. The myths say that he placed himself in the constellations to guide sailors on the sea so they could return home safely."

 

"The creator of astronomy, in a way... I can see why you would have him as your favorite."

 

Leo was still holding their joined hands above them both, getting ready to point at another interesting constellation when he chanced looking down and noticed a nice sized lump by their feet. He sat up a bit, head tilted as he examined it; as he watched, the lump squirmed just enough to give it away. "Takumi," he whispered, and he waited while Takumi sat up next to him him. Leo silently pointed towards the lump and gave Takumi a grin when the other smiled knowingly at him. In one swift move, Takumi leaned forward and swooped the lump up in his arms, wrapping the blanket around the lump entirely. In his arms the lump squirmed before both Takumi and Leo attacked it with their fingers.

 

There was a squeal of laughter as the lump began shifting wildly around in their arms, a leg finally breaching the blanket trap as Takumi lowered it to the ground. "'kay," the lump exclaimed, giggling as Leo and Takumi laid down next to it. "You win!" Out of the blanket two arms popped out; they moved around until they found the edge of the blanket and then pulled it away. A second later, a grinning face with three missing teeth shot out, immediately reaching forward for both Leo and Takumi's hands. "Again?"

 

Takumi grinned at Leo before he pressed a kiss to the messy hair of their son. "Kiragi, what are you doing out of bed?"

 

Leo sat up once more, glancing around the garden. "And if you're out of bed," he said, just loud enough for his voice to carry in the direction of the garden entrance, "then your brother must be out of bed as well, since he's scared of the dark and wouldn't want to be alone."

 

"That's not true," a thin voice shot out from behind the bush directly in front of them. Not a second later the word, "Oops," followed, before the head of their other son, Forrest, peaked over the top of the bush. "Hi Father," he said to Leo, who motioned for him to come over to the blanket.  Forrest disappeared behind the bush for a moment, before he backed out, pulling with him two blankets and a sloppily sewn stuffed bunny rabbit. Once he reached the blanket he sat down in Leo's lap, holding out the second blanket and the rabbit to Kiragi. "You forgot these," he said, his own smile growing as Kiragi's face lit up.

 

"Thank you, Forrest!" Kiragi took the blanket first and turned to face Takumi, reaching up to wrap the blanket around his head. "Now your ears won't get cold, Dad. You always say your ears get cold easily," he said before he turned back to Forrest, immediately taking the bunny and squishing it against his cheek. "I love my bunny."

 

Leo ruffled Kiragi's hair as Takumi pulled the blanket off his face. "And why do you love your bunny?"

 

Kiragi's eyes lit up before he tackled Forrest in a hug, both of them falling to the ground. "Because Forrest made it for me, even though he spent his entire birthday making it! He's the best big brother EVER! Thank you again for my bunny, Forrest!"

 

Forrest wrapped his arms around his little brother, hugging him tightly. "You're welcome," he said proudly, still holding on to Kiragi when Leo helped sit them upright. Like the best big brother that he was, Forrest took Kiragi’s discarded blanket and wrapped it around his little brother’s shoulders, patting his head gently when Kiragi took his bunny and had it give Forrest a kiss on the cheek.

 

Leo felt Takumi lean against him and he wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Now, care to tell us why you two are out of bed?"

 

Kiragi pulled away from Forrest quickly, almost clambering to get into Leo's lap. He faced Leo and placed a hand on each cheek, staring directly into Leo's eyes. "I had a dream, Papa."

 

"Oh?" Takumi inquired, moving closer while Forrest pulled up his own blanket and draped it over his shoulders, moving so that he was laying his head in Takumi's lap with his eyes closed. He took Takumi’s hand and placed it on his hair, a silent demand to play with his hair that Takumi gave in to. "What was the dream about?"

 

"I was huntin' with Dad because we had to save you and Forrest, and he let me use a _bow_ even though I'm only four. But he needed my help because both Forrest and Papa were stuck in a tree and we had to save them from the mean woof-woof's who had kidnapped you," he turned quickly to face Takumi, letting go of Leo's face to gesture wildly as he continued to describe his dream. "And Dad was taking care of most of the woofs, but there was another one, the BIGGEST one that was gonna hurt Forrest and so I shot him, and then Forrest and you were saved, yay!" To end it, he threw his hands up in the air, giving his father's the biggest grin they'd seen since they'd told him that for his fifth birthday Takumi would start giving him lessons with the bow. "And I woke up and I just had to tell you," his voice suddenly went soft and he lowered his hands, picking up his bunny and playing with its ears. "Am I in trouble for leaving my bed?"

 

Leo shared a look with Takumi before he looked back at their son, who had looked back up at them and was staring at them with wide eyes. "That depends, how did you beat the biggest woof of them all?"

 

Kiragi's grin reappeared on his face. "With my bow that Dad gave me!"

 

Takumi leaned in and said, "Since it was with the bow I gave you and not with any kind of lame old magic that your father uses, then it's totally okay that you're out of bed right now."

 

Leo rolled his eyes, pretending to not notice the almost identical grins that Takumi and Kiragi shot him. From Takumi's lap, Forrest spoke up, sounding a little put out, "Magic isn't _lame_ , Dad."

 

"Bows are cooler, magic is lame. It comes from books and reading is dumb, unless it's about fluffy animals," Kiragi chirped, and Forrest sat up completely, knocking Takumi's hand away from where it had been resting on his head. Leo shook his head; their children had had the exact argument multiple times.

 

"No, reading isn't dumb at all!" He swiftly turned to face Leo, who leaned back when two intense pairs of eyes focused on him. "Tell him, Father! Magic and reading aren't dumb at all!"

 

Leo sighed and place a hand on one shoulder each. "Oh, the innocence of youth. Reading and magic are not lame," he said, pointedly ignoring the look he saw Takumi giving Kiragi and the eyeroll that followed soon after. "Remember, knowledge is - "

 

"Important!" Both Forrest and Kiragi said in unison. They giggled, and while they were occupied Takumi leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to Leo's neck.

 

"Speaking of knowledge," he whispered, pointing up at the stars. Leo nodded, shifting so that when he laid down, Kiragi would follow; on the other side, Takumi did the same with Forrest, and soon all four of them were snuggled up together on the blanket, looking up at the stars. "Can you guys tell me what a big group of stars is called?"

 

"Ooh, I know that one," Forrest exclaimed, pointing a tiny hand up directly above them. "Conestellations, right?"

 

"Close," Leo said, trying not to laugh when Kiragi mumbled out a question about whether or not you could shoot a star. "Constellations. Different groupings of stars have different names, and Forrest," and he couldn't help the smile that grew when Forrest looked directly at him once he'd said his name, fondness for their son coursing through him, "I know you are learning about constellations from your tutor. Can you pick any of them out?"

 

Forrest looked back up at the stars, scrunching his nose as he tried to find one. "Oh! That one, right above us, it's the twins, Gemini, right?"

 

Leo nodded and the proud smile Forrest gave him had Takumi leaning down to press a loud kiss on his cheek that had Forrest giggling out, "Dad, stop!"

 

As he watched his husband and son beginning a tickle fight, Leo felt a tap on his chin and looked down to see Kiragi staring at him with wide eyes. "Are we gonna do something fun tomorrow, Papa?"

 

Leo pretended to not know what Kiragi was asking about. "Why would we do something fun tomorrow? Is it a special day?"

 

Kiragi gasped. "Don't tell me you forgot?" He looked so upset that Leo was unable to keep pretending. He kissed Kiragi's forehead and reached over blindly to find one of Takumi's hands that wasn't trying to tickle Forrest. Takumi paused in his tickling and linked their fingers together, allowing Leo to pull both him and Forrest closer.

 

No, there was no way that Leo could have forgotten what the next day was. He felt Takumi tighten his grip on their fingers and smiled; it was the one year anniversary of the day that they had officially adopted both Kiragi and Forrest. They'd met the two children when visiting Camilla, who had opened a sort of orphanage just a little ways away from the castle, and it had been love at first sight. It had been a hard process, getting the two to trust them, but all of their hard work had most certainly paid off, because now they had these two precious balls of sunshine as their children. Leo had could say honestly that he'd only ever been this happy a few times in his life.

 

"Your dad and I have made sure that tomorrow it's just going to be us all day. We're going to visit Aunt Camilla," Kiragi let out an excited gasp before it immediately turned into a tired yawn. "And after, we're going to go into town so that we can buy some new books, and also get you guys some new clothes - "

 

Forrest squirmed in Takumi's arms. "Can I pick out all of my new clothes? Pretty please? I won't ask to buy too much! And can we visit Miss Anne's shop? She always gives me tips on how to improve my sewing!"

 

"Normally," Takumi said softly, "We'd say no, but since tomorrow is special, I think we can make an acception."

 

"You guys are the best parents ever, even if you have horrible fashion sense."

 

Leo frowned at Takumi, his voice lowering as he felt Kiragi's breathing starting to even out. "We don't have horrible fashion sense. Well, at least I don't."

 

Takumi chuckled. "Oh please, have you seen the clothes you wear each day?"

 

Forrest let out a sniff. "I think Father has an okay fashion sense, Dad," he said firmly through a yawn. "You, however, wear too much fur. One day, Kiragi is going to think you're an animal and try to shoot you with a bow."

 

Takumi frowned. "Do I really wear too much fur?"

 

At the identical _yes's_ he got in answer to his question, he sighed. "It's not my fault Nohr is colder than Hoshido. You'd think that after six years I'd be used to it by now..."

 

After that, they fell into a comfortable silence, Kiragi fast asleep and pressed up as close as he could get to Leo, and Forrest sleepily playing with a strand of Takumi's hair until it dropped from his fingers as he finally fell asleep. Their fingers still linked, Leo took a moment to reflect. _Six years..._ Six years since he'd been crowned King of Nohr and had felt like he was drowning, six years since Takumi had arrived like a beam of light that he hadn't known he'd needed; five whole years of being together, three since they'd been married. His grip on Takumi's fingers tightened and his husband gave their joined hand a gentle tug.

 

"Thinking? You've got that look on your face," he whispered, placing his free hand over Forrest's ear to keep him from waking.

 

"Yes and no," Leo replied. "Remembering, mostly."

 

Takumi moved closer slowly and, careful not to squish Forrest and Kiragi between them, he leaned in for a gentle kiss. "I hope you're remembering only the best things, you know how you get when you let your mind wander. Remember, optimism," he said with a yawn once they'd pulled away.

 

Leo thought back to that first night that Takumi had been in the castle, where he'd blurted out for him to wait, to stop walking away, from leaving him alone in the library. He never really knew why he had called out for him, but he now was forever thankful for his mouth speaking before his brain could catch up. "Yes," he said, his voice warm. "Only the best things from now on. I do believe, however, that our romantic stargazing plans were a little ruined," and as if to prove his point, he ended his sentence with his own yawn.

 

Takumi let out another chuckle but halfway through he was interrupted by another yawn. "All of this yawning is contagious. Let's get them tucked back in bed, it won't do us any good if any of us get sick from sleeping outside."

 

They lifted their children softly, Leo making sure that Kiragi's bunny stayed where it was pressed against his son's chest and headed towards the entrance to the castle. "I'll get the blankets and pillows in the morning," he whispered to Takumi, who leaned against him tiredly in response. In his arms, Forrest's eyes opened momentarily.

 

"Are we going back to bed?"

 

With one hand holding Kiragi to him, Leo reached over and ran a gentle hand through Forrest's hair. "Yes," he replied. "We don't want you to get ill, and it'll get colder during the night so it's not wise to stay outside."

 

Forrest yawned (Leo held back his laugh as Takumi yawned not even a second after their son had finished his), his little hands fisting Takumi's yukata. "Can we sleep in your bed with you? It's been a long time since we've all spent the night together..."

 

Takumi shared a fond look with Leo, their silent conversation quick. "I don't see a problem with that," he told Forrest, who gifted them with the happiest tired look he could manage.

 

"That way we can all wake up as a family, instead of Kiragi and I having to surprise you guys by jumping on you in bed like we did for your anniversary a while ago."

 

Leo chuckled, remembering that morning. Both he and Takumi had enjoyed a long night together and had hoped to sleep him, but had been woken up at first light once they had been jumped on, both children cheering loudly about how it was the celebration of the day they got married. Even as tired as he'd been, Leo hadn't found it in him to be upset at the loss of sleep and how he was going to have a bruise for the rest of the day from where Forrest had kneed him in the stomach; he was always pleased to see how their children were getting used to being in the castle, and how they now felt comfortable enough to barge into the King's chambers without a care in the world.

 

"Just promise us that this time you won't wake us up by jumping on us and you've got a deal."

 

Forrest held up his pinky finger and Leo linked it with his own, remembering when he'd been younger and Elise had still been alive; she'd made him promise things to her that way, but instead of feeling sad when he did it with his son, all he felt was a warm feeling at the memory. The death of his siblings would always be painful, but over the years the ache had lessened, his mourning finished, so he could remember them happily instead of trying to chase the idea in his head of what life would be like if they were still with him.

 

When they reached their bedroom, Forrest had fallen back asleep, and together he and Takumi settled them underneath the warm blanket; Takumi gently brushed Forrest's bangs out of his eyes and Leo wrapped Kiragi's arms around his bunny, then he stepped back and watched as Kiragi rolled over and curled up right next to his brother, the bunny getting pulled tighter to his chest.

 

He settled on the left side by Forrest while Takumi took the right, and once they were both situated Takumi reached over and laced their pinkies together. "You do know they're going to wake us up by jumping on us, right?"

 

Leo nodded, laying down and resting his head on the soft pillows. "I figured they would, but tomorrow is an important day and I can't think of a better way to wake up, honestly."

 

Takumi buried his head into the pillow, his eyes slipping closed. "You know, I think I actually agree with you there. Even though we'll both probably get kneed in the stomach at least once." Takumi let out a little chuckle. “All things considered, this was a good way to end the day.”

 

"I'll admit, I am a little bummed that our stargazing didn't go as planned. I know that you had been looking forward to it."

 

Takumi shifted to pull the blanket up and over his shoulder, eyes still closed. "Don't worry," he mumbled as he yawned yet again. "We'll have many opportunities to stargaze again in the future, and you can tell me more about your favorite guiding star." With that, Takumi drifted off to sleep, Leo relaxing completely at the sound of Takumi and their son's soft breathing. He pulled their joined hands up to his mouth and pressed a kiss to Takumi's knuckles; once he was done he brought their hands back down to where they had been resting before in between their two children and closed his eyes.

  
That night Leo fell asleep once again with his mind and heart at peace, his pinky still linked to his own personal guiding star, who had brought him back from the edge and led him safely home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaand that's a wrap! 
> 
> well, not entirely. i'm planning a series of one shots to fill in a few holes: their wedding, dealing with some rebellions, meeting forrest and kiragi for the first time, that sort of thing. as for how forrest and kiragi are in this world well, i'll just say deep realm shenanigans and something about alternate worlds or whatever, because i adore these children and i couldn't leave them out of this story ;u; 
> 
> i just wanted to thank you all as well for following my little story, all of your comments and kudos mean so much to me ;A; 
> 
> as always, you can find me [on twitter](https://twitter.com/mikleeo)  
> and also on [tumblr](http://soreymikleo.co.vu/)


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